American Idiot
by Ironbird53
Summary: The world discovers another male who can operate an IS! Meet Thomas, a very energetic American high school freshman who discovers his ability to control an IS by accident! Without warning, Thomas becomes the Representative Contender for the United States! With a school full of teenage girls, giant robots, and an entire status quo against him, what could possibly go wrong?
1. Beginner's Luck

**Let's begin!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos**

**As time progressed, the world finds more males who can operate an IS!**

**Enter Thomas "Tommy" Scott, a very energetic and friendly American high school freshman who somehow managed to activate and operate an IS. Without warning or anything else, he quickly became the United States Representative Contender for the IS Academy! He quickly gains a following as the world's second male IS pilot.**

**To him, this was a dream come true.**

**He has the chance to use giant robots!**

**With a private academy full of pubescent teenagers, giant robots, sport fighting, and literally an entire status quo against him, what could possibly go wrong?**

* * *

Thomas Scott had lost any sense he had in his life.

And it all started with him touching something he really shouldn't have touched.

It seemed so innocent and childish at the time. He got lost in the high school building one day. Being a freshman, he wasn't used to the school's hallways and rooms. He got so lost, he wound up going into a room without a label.

It was probably a closet.

It certainly _looked _like a closet.

But he opened the door, only to find it was much, much bigger than that.

And there it was. An Infinite Stratos.

A. Giant. Robot.

How could Thomas _not_ be geeking out?

Strange. There was only one academy in the entire world that trained IS pilots. Maybe they're making an IS training course? But, if so, then why was there only one IS? They'd have to buy them in bulk!

Besides, it wasn't like he'd be able to take such a course.

The devastating truth kicked him: Only females could pilot the IS. Because...

Why was that?

Why could only women pilot the IS?

Was it some sort of error that couldn't be worked out?

It's just a giant robot, so why could only women pilot it?

Did it have something to do with...physiology that didn't need to be mentioned?

Was the inventor simply trying to empower women?

Was the inventor trying to challenge the gender equality rule of sports?

Was that even a rule?

There were 2 reasons Thomas wanted to pilot an IS.

For starters, who doesn't want to pilot a giant robot? It's a giant robot! What's not to love?

Second, the sensation.

As a little boy, he wanted nothing more than the ability to fly. Heroes can fly, so why couldn't he? He wondered what it felt like, the sensation of feeling weightless, the wind pushing about as one drills right through it...it just felt so energizing just by thinking about it.

He checked his watch.

He had time to kill.

Time to touch _everything_.

If only women could pilot an IS, then it wouldn't matter if he fiddled with the controls for a minute...or three? Besides, no-one was around to tell him "no." And, he wouldn't be able to make it move to begin with.

Even if it was a childish fantasy...Thomas wanted for just one moment to feel that he, a boy in a world that told him he couldn't, could touch the stars.

He climbed up into IS controls, and positioned himself to pretend as though he was piloting the massive machine. He made sound effects as he imagined his was fighting a near-unbeatable foe.

Bam! Oh no! His opponent snuck up on him! he had to do something! Ka-pow! Hit 'em right between the eyes! Soften the baddie up...And boom! Finish the off with a German Suplex!

After half a minute, Thomas had gotten a little to energetic in his make-believe. He jerked his left hand...

...And suddenly, the IS's left arm came to life as it jerked its wrist and snapped its fist shut.

"WAAAH!" He screamed.

He jolted back in shock. Just like the fist, the IS responded and made him fall right on his rear. The result of this made a massive crash, which echoed through the room, and potentially beyond.

He was in so much trouble.

Scratch that, the noise _definitely_ went beyond.

He could hear footsteps approaching.

He had to hide, but where?! The IS was about the only thing in the room! He had to ditch the rig, and-

The door flew open with a boom.

He was so dead.

There were two faculty women standing at the door. Thomas panicked, and tried to push the IS up.

"W-Wait! I can explain! It's not what it looks like!"

He paused to comprehend his statement

"Okay, it's probably exactly what it looks like. And I really can't explain-But PLEASE DON'T EXPEL ME!" He pleaded as he shifted the IS controls to get to his feet.

"Wait! He's...piloting an IS!?"

"Impossible!"

"What's going on!?"

Thomas had no idea what was going on.

"Please don't tell my dad." He whimpered.

He was going to be in so much trouble when his dad found out about this.

* * *

And that's the story of how Thomas's life changed.

But...That didn't help explain how he was transferred to the IS Academy, in Japan, the only place in the world that trained IS pilots in a school-setting, and moved with his dad to Japan in less than a week.

His only reaction was a simple, _"Wot?"_

Currently, He was in the Academy uniform, and getting lost in the hallways very early in the morning. Everywhere he went, he received curious stares from girls. It probably stupid to realize it now, but who'd thought that a private academy dedicated to training IS pilots would be virtually all girls.

"Another boy?"

Indeed, another boy? Was he one of a privileged bunch?

"He looks western!"

What did she mean by "_looks_?"

"He's so tall!"

He was only 5'9. He wasn't _that _tall. Wasn't 5'9 the average height for adult males? Or was that 5'7?

"You think he speaks Japanese?"

He did know enough to understand and carry a conversation. Just not enough to make a college thesis with.

This was getting him nowhere fast. Literally.

He needed help. And he had no clue where the directory was, or if there was one to begin with.

"You there!" A very commanding voice boomed from behind the boy.

Thomas jolted, only to find a faculty member in a business attire glaring him down with her arms crossed. She had black hair, an aura of extreme tension around her, and red eyes.

If he had to guess, she had...frustrations she couldn't work out, and a habit of being a little too rough with others if they were out of line. But something about her was familiar...

Instantly, Thomas deduced this would end one of two ways. Either with him getting a "tough love" scenario. Or, a dirt-nap after the teacher clocked him for doing something stupid.

In the day and age, he wouldn't be surprised if it was both.

"You must be the foreign transfer student. You're lost, aren't you?"

Thomas froze for an instant.

She KNEW! She knows what she's doing! She has expectations! And those expectations would crush him!

But...

SHE KNEW! She can help! Thank God for the human ability to understand!

"Y-Yeah," He said, pulling out a slip of paper to show her, "I'm in Class 1, but I have no idea where that is."

The lady cocked an eyebrow, and read the note he made for himself.

"I see." She said plainly. Her mood lightened up a little, with a small smile curling on her lips. "I'll take you there."

"Really? Thanks!"

She then delivered a devastating chop to his head.

"That's 'Thank you, Ma'am!' To you!"

"Y-Yes...Ma'am." He whimpered as he winced and nursed his injury.

He knew it.

_Minutes Later..._

The lady guided him to a classroom. There was another lady, whom had mint-colored hair and glasses, standing outside.

"Miss Yamada," Said the lady, "This is our new foreign transfer."

"Oh!" Said the new woman, "I'm Miss Yamada, welcome to our class! We'll get you introduced right away!"

She then entered the classroom. Thomas tried to follow, but the other faculty member stopped him.

"Wait until you're cued." She said.

He nodded, not wanting to say anything in case he may saw the wrong thing.

"Hello class! I'd like to invite a very special new foreign transfer student today!" Miss Yamada called from inside.

Suddenly, he felt a powerful pat on his shoulder, as though the faculty woman was shoving him, indicating it was time to step inside.

He walked as calmly as he could into the classroom.

He was met with a metric ton of curious girls...And a boy?

Wait! The boy was familiar. Could it be...?

_"Focus Thomas. Time to showboat a little!"_ He thought to himself.

"Oh...Ohay..." Thomas had a habit of screwing up the "good morning" in Japanese. He cleared his throat, "_O-Ohayo Gozaimasu_."

He managed to get through it with only one pause this time. New record.

"My name is Thomas Scott. I'm from America." He recited flawlessly. One of the various but limited phrases he'd memorized. Other statements being _"Where's the bathroom?"_ or _"Dormammu I've come to bargain."_

He was especially proud of that last one.

The class began an uproar.

"He's so cu~ute!"

_"I got that a lot back in America."_ Thought Thomas.

"So manly!"

_"Why thank you, person I never met before."_ Thought Thomas.

"He's like Orimura!"

Hel-lo!

Orimura was a name he'd recognize anywhere. Throughout his childhood, up until middle school, Thomas had a childhood friend in Japan: Ichika Orimura. They'd become best buddies almost right off the get-go. His dad was friends with Ichika's older sister, Chifuyu Orimura. From what his dad would tell him, his mother was Chifuyu's friend, and later became close with his dad after his mom disappeared.

Sadly, during middle school, Thomas was no longer allowed to talk to his friend. His dad suddenly said that he and Thomas were moving.

When Thomas asked why he couldn't talk to Ichika anymore, his question was met with _"Because the Orimura family has a very important job from the government, so we can't meet them for a while."_

Wait a minute.

Thomas glanced to his left, only to finally figure out why the faculty woman was so familiar.

It was Chifuyu!

That also meant that the only other boy in the classroom was Ichika!

It all made sense now!

"Thomas?" Ichika called.

"Ichika?" Said Thomas, wanting to confirm his theory.

"It's you!"

"EYYY!"

"Where have you been?"

"Where have _you_ been?"

"Enough of that!" Chifuyu boomed. The two boys whimpered in fear. Even though Thomas had grown up, her ability to terrify him had yet to lose its impact.

"Scott, you can take the desk next to Miss Dunois." Chifuyu said as she pointed out his seat.

Thomas quickly rushed to the open chair and sat down without a word from his lips. His eyes attentive and panicked and his posture perfect. Everyone was still staring at him. Thomas had only been there less than half a day, and already things went by very fast.

And thus, classes began.

* * *

It didn't take very long for the highlight of the day to come: IS Training.

Besides, the trip to the locker room gave Thomas the time to catch up with his childhood friend.

"I thought you moved!"

"I did!"

"Dad said you and Chifuyu were working for the government!"

"Really!?"

"Yeah!"

"What about you? Chifuyu said that you went to another country!"

"I moved to another state!"

"No way!"

"Why is no one explaining what's going on?"

"I dunno."

Thomas and Ichika had filled each other in on what happened since they stopped talking. It appeared that both the people who raised them lied to them about why they couldn't talk anymore.

"So...You can pilot an IS?"

"You too?"

"Yeah. One moment I was horsin' around...and bam! I find myself in Japan."

It was at this moment that the boys noticed a rapidly-developing problem. They looked around themselves, only to find that they were boxed in by a massive horde of school-girls!

_"This...could end badly."_ Thought Thomas.

Seeing as how they were the only two males in the world who could operate an IS, it seemed ridiculous to question why the girls seemed so awestruck.

"Uh-oh." Said Ichika.

"Hey, Ichika?" Thomas.

"Yeah?"

"Which way do you go when you're trapped between to invincible forces?"

"Where?"

"Sideways!"

Thomas snatched Ichika's wrist, and took off running down another hallway.

"And then anywhere!"

Thomas let go of Ichika, and the duo began to sprint down the hallway, leaving the amassing crowds in disappointment. The boys ran and ran until they finally got too tired to maintain their speed.

Just as they stopped to catch their breath, Ichika pointed out, "Oh hey, we're here!"

Thomas looked, only to find the locker rooms.

"C'mon, we need to get moving. We'll be late!" Said Ichika.

The boys quickly changed into their pilot uniforms, which consisted of a short-sleeve spandex shirt and spandex shorts.

"Question." Said Thomas.

"Shoot."

"Did they...?" Thomas hinted at a very specific area of his body.

"Nope."

Thomas paused.

"This is gonna suck."

* * *

Thomas and Ichika quickly got in line with the other students.

Some students wore pilot uniforms that had distinctly different colors. Assuming they had something the other students didn't, it would stand to say they had custom IS units. That is, he hoped he was wrong.

If he had to go up against a custom IS, he was so screwed.

"Alright!" Declared Chifuyu, "Today, we're going to gauge your ability to control an IS."

Thomas had a bad feeling about where this was going.

"Scott! You're in a training model, get in a familiarize yourself with the basics!"

Thomas raced to a vacant unit and prepped himself for whatever was going to happen next.

"Orimura! You're going to train Scott in a mock-battle. Try not to break him...too much."

Ichika then activated his own personal IS.

Wait.

Ichika has his own IS!? This was going to go so badly, so quickly for Thomas.

The IS was white with a few blue accents. It looked like an angel, for some reason. Worst of all, it had a laser-sword.

The worst kind.

"Tommy!" Called Ichika, "Just so you know, I'm not gonna hold back!" He said as he took up a sword-fighting position.

The American knew for a fact that Ichika wasn't messing around. Thomas looked around, in the hopes of finding some way out of the situation.

Unfortunately, all he found were curious stares of students, and the judgmental glare of his teacher.

Normally, he'd go toe-to-toe with Ichika any day.

Except, they were IS Pilots. Ichika clearly knew what he was doing. Considering the Japanese school-year system, Ichika most likely had been in an actual IS fight, and thus, had plenty more experience under his belt.

Thomas, on the other hand, had only used an IS once. He was just playing around, and the IS reacted. A stunt that landed him all the way here. He'd never went anywhere close to an IS prior or since.

_"Roll with the punches, and aim for the bushes, Thomas."_ He thought to himself.

Thomas took a few moments to breath in, and out. His hands gently grasped the controls in the IS arms. The IS shifted, as though it were an extension of his own limbs, and moved almost as quickly as he did.

Almost.

It was a Training Model, after all. It was bound to be crappy.

He took a step. He closed his eyes, breathed in, breathed out. He closed and opened his fist, trying to relax and let the IS work properly. He could do this, He could do this, he could-!

"Orimura, ready?" Inquired Chifuyu, ready to call the start. Ichika nodded.

"Scott, ready?" She asked. Suddenly, Thomas took up a boxing stance.

"Go!"

Ichika got the first attack. He jumped into the air and flew right for Thomas. If he ended this quickly, he'd be able to help properly teach Thomas how to use an IS after classes. All he had to do was make sure Thomas couldn't fight-!

No-one counted on Thomas's speed.

Thomas snatched Ichika with both hands, and threw him away. Ichika's jets carried him through the air as he recovered.

Did Thomas even know how to fly? Or that the training model came with a weapon. He wasn't being fair to Thomas.

"This isn't fair!" Complained Thomas, "This guy's got a longer reach and a royalty-free lightsaber on me!"

"You'll figure it out!" Said Chifuyu.

"You're not helping!"

Ichika then came in for another attempt. This time, Thomas didn't counter, but began to use his fists.

The other students all watched in awe.

"There's no possible way this mere commoner could beat the likes of Ichika!" Sneered Cecelia Alcott.

"Kick his can, Ichika!" Shouted Houki.

Thomas had more than enough disadvantages, and lack of support was just the worst.

_"Thanks for the vote of confidence."_ He thought.

Ichika's experience in both swordsmanship and IS combat quickly put Thomas on the ropes. After several slashes, Thomas's shield energy was knocked down by 25%. He had to think quickly.

He ducked, rolled, and did everything he could to stay out of Ichika's range. It was hard enough, since Ichika also knew how to fly in IS, and Thomas didn't.

"Zat ish _my _bride. Crush him!" Commanded Laura.

Ichika was taken aback by Laura's words. And let up to question what he just heard.

An opening!

Thomas seized his chance, and began to punch with the technique of every boxer he ever saw.

All that time he spent watching _Battle Bots_ was finally paying off.

Thomas unleashed Three-box-combo to the body!

Ichika was stunned, reeling back only to have Thomas march right up and continue punching him relentlessly! Ichika reeled back as Thomas pressed his advantage. Thomas deployed the Training Unit's only weapon; a Katana.

It was better than nothing.

The boys began to exchange blows as they clashed with their blades.

Thomas was doing his best to make sure he could counter Ichika's attacks, rather than try to get ahead.

"Wha-!? But how!? Orimura had him on the ropes just now!" Questioned a student.

"It's simple," Said Chifuyu, "Thomas Scott was an incredible young kid. Even when he was little, he was capable of many things, reading on an 11th grade level, processing multiple things at once, solving puzzles and riddles that challenged many, proficient tinkering, fixing, figuring out how things worked, a photographic memory, and able to go toe-to-toe with some of the state's-even the nation's-greatest gamers. His only problem is he didn't really apply it to school-work so easily as he did with gaming."

She watched as Thomas brought an assault like no other upon Ichika, whom was barely able to counter.

"Bottom line? All he needs is to figure out how the controls work."

The students all watched with shock and awe as Thomas managed to pull himself together so quickly.

But Ichika was still able to one-up his classmate.

Ichika finally recovered. Thomas's attacks had put the IS down to 90% out of 400% shield power. He recomposed himself, and then finally countered Thomas's attacks. Thomas panicked, he still had yet to figure out the propulsion system controls, if Ichika got another hit in...

He'd have to figure it out quickly. And by quickly, he meant _now_.

He fiddled with the IS controls. Ichika came in for another attack!

Little did Thomas know, he got lucky. If Ichika had more shield energy, he could've use a Barrier-Disabling Attack to quickly end the fight, perhaps even an Ignition Boost. But Thomas had hit the IS enough that it would end the fight if he attempted either.

He'd just have to win by overwhelming Thomas.

Ichika then brought on a combo-attack of his own. Performing multiple attacks, and easily putting Thomas on the ropes again. This time, Ichika pummeled Thomas's IS, and forced the shield down to 50% power.

Thomas had to figure out the controls if he was going to win.

Students wondered if Chifuyu would step in, and end the fight with a draw. But she simply stood with he arms crossed, making a judgmental expression as always. The exercise was to see how well Thomas could pilot the IS...

...But if he worked out how to control the propulsion system, the IS wouldn't survive.

Thomas was barely keeping out of range. And frantically messing with every inch of the IS controls. Everything he tried wasn't working, this was very bad! If he had time and space, he could figure out the propulsion controls. But, if he got distracted now, the fight would be all over.

If that happened, he could kiss first impressions goodbye.

Ichika raised his weapon for a finisher. The wind-up gave Thomas exactly the opening and timing he needed.

Ichika brought his sword down upon Thomas. But suddenly, Thomas zipped right past Ichika, and got behind him. He then wrapped his arms around Ichika's torso, knowing full well how to finish.

"**Bitch**..."

He lifted Ichika up, and performed a demolishing German Suplex!

"...**LASAGNA!**"

The students all made an uproar at the sight.

Ichika's shield dropped to 0%, and de-materialized. The boy lay flat on the ground, still reeling from the suplex.

Thomas got out of the training IS, and fell back into a sitting position, exhausted and sweating. The two looked at each other, and began to laugh as though one of them just told a funny joke.

"That concludes the mock-battle. The winner is Scott!" Announced Chifuyu.

The other students, save Houki, Laura, Cecelia, Lingyin, and Charlotte, all cheered Thomas for his victory. Chifuyu simply chuckled when no-one was looking, still impressed by Thomas's inability to fly.

He needed a personal IS. If Thomas had gotten full control of the IS, he'd have destroyed it before Ichika had the chance to fight him.

_Later that day..._

Thomas and Ichika sat in the same booth during dinner, joking and catching up.

"No way!"

"I'm serious! 2K's making an annual _Battle Bots_ game!"

"About time!"

"A game they _should_ make is an IS game. VR if they could. That way, guys would have at least something close to experience with IS units. Besides, it'd be a little bit more fair that way."

"I guess."

"The next season of Professional IS Matches should be starting soon..."

"Man, I hope Noisemaker gets a rematch against Bombshell Beauty."

"Didn't the pilots get married? Coulda sworn I heard that somewhere..."

"Um, excuse me?"

The boys looked to the outside world, only to find a growing crowd of girls, and a girl with a camera, presumably for the school newspaper.

That was a thing, right? Did they do school newspapers in Japan?

"I'm here from the school newspaper! Is it alright if I take a photo of you two?"

"Sure!"

To Ichika and Thomas, it was an average photo. To the rest of the school, it was like they were documenting history.

* * *

_A few minutes later..._

Thomas and Ichika were walking back to their dorm.

"You're joking."

"She _actually_ dressed up, talked, and acted like a boy."

"You live a strange life, dude."

"You can say that again."

Both were doing their best to ignore all the prying eyes that stalked them. Groups of girls all watched them enter their dorm room.

"They share a dorm!"

_"No comment." _Thought Thomas.

"That's where they live! That's handy to know."

Thomas did not want to know why.

"Think they sleep together?"

_"...Wot?"_

"That's hot."

_"That's not."_

"That's gross! Why would two guys sleep together?"

_"Exactly."_

The boys closed the door, Thomas made sure it was locked. Ichika changed into his pajamas, Thomas stepped into the shower. Ichika passed out in his bed. Thomas took a shower, put on pajamas, slicked back his bangs back over his head, and fell asleep around 9:55 pm.

Neither of them knew what tomorrow would hold for either of them.

* * *

**A/N: Hi everyone! I wrote this story on a whim, just like every other story I write!**

**I'll tell you about Thomas this time.**

**Thomas and Ichika were childhood friends up until middle school. During their first year, Ichika is kidnapped by Phantom Task. After he was rescued, Chifuyu severed ties with Thomas's dad in order to keep them safe.**

**Thomas himself is 5'7, with dirty-blonde hair and blue eyes. He has an average build, and a high metabolism.**

**He's ambidextrous, and has a photographic memory. Unfortunately, he has been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, which means he is unable to perceive the world as everyone else, and has an attention problem.**

**But he is able to mimic some actions he sees, allowing him to execute multiple fighting techniques. Although he cannot mimic all forms of hand-to-hand, he is able to perform on a higher level than most.**

**He's not entirely normal. At least, he's not the average child...**

**All he needs is experience.**

**I created a draft of custom IS Units, I might post it when the story ends.**

**Although I have plenty of ideas for all sorts of IS Units, I doubt I'll use many-if any-of them in _American Idiot_, since the story focuses on Thomas and his journey through the IS Academy-and, if I can ever get through all of it-beyond the Academy. I may not have enough room for so many custom IS Units, but I'll use them where they make sense.**

**I may-or-may-not have a crossover story planned for American Idiot as well...**

**Next time: Newtype Sensitivity!**

**With his first time in an IS Unit ending in success, Thomas begins to participate in the IS Academy! But when he's challenged to a duel, he needs to put his money where his mouth is!**

**Can the young boy spread his wings and fly? Or will he fail trying?**

**Leave a review! They're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	2. Newtype Sensitivity Part 1

**Back at again!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**With his first real experience in an IS Unit ending with a successful victory, Thomas starts falling into a regular schedule of daily life in a private academy.**

**But when he gets challenged to a fight, it's time for Thomas to put his money where his mouth is!**

**Can Thomas prove his worth? Can he spread his wings and fly? Or will he fail miserably?**

* * *

First day? Arguably successful.

Thomas _somehow_ managed to outwit Ichika in a mock-battle, with a standard IS Unit on top of that.

He probably should've read that very big book which _might've _had the instructions on how to operate it. But that big book? Why make it so big? The IS controls were-at most simplistic-two joysticks with buttons, what made it so complicated to just say which button combination was which?

He would need help if he was going to figure this out.

He woke up, checked his watch. 5:28 AM.

Weird, his alarm goes off at 5:30. Did he master Ultra Instinct overnight or something?

Ichika was still asleep.

Doesn't matter. Time to start the day!

He got out of bed, changed into his school uniform, wrapped his watch around his left wrist, and left the room in search of food.

Wait.

Did they have a fridge in the room?

He zipped back into the dorm, turning off his alarm just as it turned 5:30, and spied a fridge sitting at the wall opposite to the closet.

It is time for a veritable feast, fit only for kings!

He opened the door...

...Only to find Ichika had labeled anything and everything in the fridge, which wasn't much.

_"That smart bastard." _Thomas thought.

Time to go to the cafeteria.

* * *

By the time Thomas got to the cafeteria, he'd realized it was the weekend.

Saturdays and Sundays were the weekend, and thus the two days-off they had every week.

He started school, only to go straight into the weekend. Weird, but cool. He could use the time to practice with a IS...If that was something he could do on a Sunday.

But first? Food. Food and memes.

And then he discovered the cafeteria wasn't open to serve any food. At least, not for the next hour.

Fuck.

What did a guy have to do to get breakfast at 5:50 in the morning? Why wasn't anyone else up?

Why did he forget to take his medicine?

Shit! He...Wait.

Thomas had been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, meaning he had a small case of autism. This was temporarily fixed with Concerta, which he took daily. The medicine only lasted for 12 hours.

If he took it now, he'd be acting like an idiot when 5 PM rolled around.

This left him with a burning question; What to do now? The cafeteria wasn't open, nobody close by was awake, Ichika beat him to the fridge, and Thomas was wide awake usually within a minute of waking up.

Conclusion? Memes and videos.

Thomas left the cafeteria to go find a perch, upon which he would be able to gaze in peace. He yawned as he explored the vast network of hallways in the IS Academy. It was like he went to college several years early.

Now that he thought about it...

Moving along, he'd gotten lost and wound up finding himself in the academy's arena.

The perfect place to be alone.

He sat down on the front-row bench, pulled out his phone, and pulled up excessive amounts of memes. As the memes were starting to bore, he then stood up, and danced to _"Meme Machine" By Filthy Frank._

No one was looking, right?

He looked around him. Yup, no one was around.

Perfect.

He danced until the song was over. He giggled to himself, and sat back down. That felt refreshingly fun. He wasn't really too good with massive noises, sometimes he liked to dance alone.

He checked the time. Maybe the cafeteria was finally open.

Might as well go check.

* * *

Nope. Not open.

Dammit.

Was Ichika awake?

A quick check gave him a no.

Anyone else around?

A few girls were here and there, but considering that they might mob him, he felt it was best to keep distance for the time being. He then went right back to the arena. What to do? Oh, what to do?

His phone vibrated. His dad was calling him? At this hour?

_"Not that I'd expect anything less from good 'ol dad."_ Thought Thomas, as he answered the call.

"Morning."

"_Ey, kiddo! How was your first day?_"

"Got in a giant robot and won."

"_Sweet! You can tell me about it when you come to the new pad!_"

"Waitaminute. You're in Japan!?"

"_Course I am! I'll text you the address!_"

His dad hung up.

Dad was in Japan!? How? Why!? Should he tell him Ichika and Chifuyu were here too? Should he tell him he fought Ichika and won?

Maybe.

But first? Find something to do.

He walked into the arena itself, absolutely bored. He probably couldn't get access to an IS to practice. This was a waste of-!

His mind blanked out.

"Ah!" He heard a British female voice declare, "I see I wasn't the only smart one this morning!"

Thomas turned around, only to find one Cecilia Alcott.

"Mornin' Alcott." Said Thomas, as he yawned again.

The blonde gasped, as though the remark was an insult. Instantly, Thomas knew this was not going to go well.

"How dare you, a mere commoner, address me in such a manner!" She snapped. She then went on a rant about her social status.

Great. Just great.

_"I feel like she's overreacting for some stupidly trivial reason..."_ Considered Thomas.

"However," She said, "I'm feeling generous this morning."

Wait for it.

"_If _you can defeat me in an IS battle, I _suppose_ I can allow you some privilege."

Thomas could tell multiple factors playing into this. One, she was making a bet she knew she could win. Two, she was rich, and most likely had a personal IS. Three, She _definitely _had more experience than Ichika when it came to the IS.

He never should've gotten up in the morning.

The big take-away? Time to kick it old-school.

"Fine by me."

"I see you're feeling confident! Perfect! I'll savor the look on your face when you lose!" She taunted.

Thomas had to think of something. If they were to duke it out now, Thomas would have no chance. His best-and only-bet was to buy time, get a little more experience with an IS, and get as much info on his foe as possible.

"Actually," He said, "Why not make it official? We run it by the teachers, and have a duel, with _everyone_ watching."

"Hah! You're just asking for humiliation, aren't you? Fine, then! I'll teach you to mess with my Ichika!"

Wait, what?

Oh. This was one of the girls Ichika was absolutely dense about. He was so blind, he couldn't find love even if it was around him.

Sadder still, it literally was.

In any truth, he felt sorry for the girls.

Oh right! Ichika mentioned Cecilia earlier. In all honesty, he should've seen this coming.

"Vait!" Called a German voice.

Laura Bodawig. If this was going where Thomas thought this was going...

"If zhere ish a duel, zhen I vish to avenge my bride!" She declared.

This was just wonderful.

Cecilia and Laura made eye contact, and made an alliance with each other. He could see it in their eyes, they'd fight him together.

He was so screwed.

* * *

Laura, Cecilia, and Thomas had proposed their duel with Chifuyu.

Chifuyu agreed.

"The arena will be available tomorrow. You should use the time to practice." She said.

Good-bye mental stability, it was nice knowing you.

Both Laura and Cecilia sent their "regards" to Thomas, and left to go train.

Chifuyu, however, had talked with Thomas more.

"I'm so dead."

"Not yet, you're not."

"Those're top pilots in this place! How am I sposta face off with them?"

"You beat Ichika."

"Barely! And that was because he got distracted!"

"Still."

"Your point?"

"I've seen you play games. This isn't too different from that."

"It is!"

"You'll figure it out."

With that, Chifuyu left Thomas to his own devices.

Thomas had to work fast.

First, he had to make sure he put distance between himself and his opponents until the fight. Second, wake Ichika up if he was still asleep. Third, get every scrap of information regarding Laura and Cecilia. Fourth, pray.

The fourth thing was the most important.

_Minutes later..._

Thomas raced back to the dorm. Thankfully, Ichika was finally getting out of bed.

"Ichika!"

"Hey."

"I'm in deep shit!"

Ichika whipped around. If Thomas was swearing, it was a very big deal.

"I'm gonna fight Cecilia and Laura tomorrow!"

"What!?"

"I need your help, man!"

"What can I do?"

"Tell me everything you can about Laura and Cecilia. And keep it relevant to fighting."

Ichika said everything he could think of, Thomas quickly pulled out a notepad and wrote it all down. Every little bit helped. He had to understand how his opponents worked, that way, even if he couldn't get on their level...

...He could bring them down to his.

Thomas then spent the entire morning practicing hand-to-hand attacks. He was going to need _all_ of them if he wanted to survive at least 5 seconds. He ran around the Is Academy until he found a stick long enough to match the length of a sword. He then used this stick to practice sword techniques.

To anyone who saw him, he looked like an idiot.

Even though he had no real experience with swords, he practiced any sword techniques he could get from the internet. Somehow, he even found Jedi lightsaber training. He wasted no time, and used every video he pressed "play" on.

Chifuyu watched him from far away.

She couldn't help but chuckle and smile.

Cecilia saw Thomas practicing, and ran away so he wouldn't hear her laughing.

Laura was simply intrigued by Thomas's techniques, but eventually decided to move on with her own business.

Thomas was too busy to notice, praying that this would be helpful.

* * *

When noon rolled around, Thomas was tired and hungry.

He dropped the stick, and received a text message.

It was the address for his new home, and a note from his dad saying, _"A surprise when you get here. XOxO."_

_"Who texts x-o anymore? Did they even do that ever?"_ Thought Thomas.

Might as well get going. He needed one last run in an IS Unit before the day was out.

He changed into a pair of beige cargo shorts, and a dark blue long-sleeve shirt, with the printed quote, _"I'm like a Superhero, with no powers or motivation_._"_

If he was going out, he needed to look good.

He took the train, and began to walk to the address.

Sure enough, the location was indeed a house. But when Thomas got to the front gate, he was dumbfounded.

The gate had a sign labeled, _"Orimura."_

This was a prank, right? There was no way dad would be living here! But...

Thomas turned around, only to find his dad standing behind him.

His name was Alexander Scott, born in Chicago, raised in Maryland.

Alexander married a supposedly famous IS Pilot, who was most known for both fist-fighting and winning a very high record of IS duels. The mother disappeared sometime shortly after Thomas was born. Thomas had extremely scarce, if any memory of his mother at all, and Alexander refused to divulge anything.

Thomas knew his father was keeping secrets, but there were still lines Thomas wouldn't dare cross.

"How's my little man?" He boomed happily as he hugged his son.

"In a lot of trouble."

Alexander released the boy, and quickly began an inquisition.

"Students don't like you?"

"No."

"Drugs?"

"No?"

"Porn?"

"No!?"

"Oh, I think I got it! You finally did it and your partner got pregnant!"

"What the fuck are you thinking of!?"

Alexander put a hand on Thomas's shoulder, "You can tell me about it inside."

The father and son quickly caught up.

"So," Said Alexander, "you're going to fight a 1v2?"

"Yeah."

"I'm not gonna lie, you're probably going to get absolutely destroyed in this fight."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"But," Said Alexander, "I do have something to encourage you."

"What's that?"

"Your mother told me some advice once."

Thomas looked his dad in the eye.

"Y'see, your mother had a single philosophy when in came to losing. She'd always tell me; 'If you're gonna lose, fight like you're gonna win. That way, you can still give your opponent a very bad time. And if that doesn't work, tell all the rude jokes about them you can.'"

Thomas wasn't processing those words at the time. But rather, the fact that it was something his mother said.

He knew almost nothing about his mother, this was a most welcome detail.

"Yeah." Said Thomas.

Suddenly, the front door opened.

Ichika entered, and both Thomas and Ichika were surprised by the other's presence.

"What're you doing in my house!?"

"I live here now!"

"What!?"

"Yeah! We're sharing a house, I think!"

"Cool!"

"I know, right?"

Alexander watched the two boys exchange words, and chuckled.

They were just like the kids they were several years ago.

He put his faith that his son would one day see his mother again.

* * *

Thomas began to panic.

He spent all day messing around!

He needed to get back to the academy and get an IS to practice!

This was bad! He half-assed practice!

He forgot to ask questions on how the controls worked!

Right now, it was 6:35 PM. If he pulled twice the effort, he might just figure out what he was going to do if he wanted to win.

He'd been allowed to use an IS until 9:00 PM. Which gave him at least a few hours of practice time.

Not that it would do a lot of good.

But as they say: Even if there's a 1% chance of something working, there's still a chance.

He'd practiced punching, kicking, evading. Unfortunately, all he could was ground attacks, leaving him susceptible to aerial assault.

He didn't stand a chance at this rate.

The bad news? First, He couldn't fly, and he was too arrogant to ask for help. Besides, he probably wouldn't understand any given explanations anyway. Two, He was facing two _very highly trained professionals_. He was just asking to die.

The good news? There wasn't any. This was just fact.

He stopped his rhythmic motions.

Didn't Ichika have an IS operation manual lying around?

He'd probably waste his time. But he really didn't have any other option left.

If he got something to give him a crash-course as of now, they wouldn't be able to properly dumb it down for Thomas. Chifuyu certainly wasn't going to tell him without some cryptic nonsense telling him to "figure it out." He needed clear-cut directions, and a person wasn't going to give it to him.

IS manual it is.

Thomas put the IS away, and quickly raced back to the dorm.

Ichika was probably going to be eating in the cafeteria at this time. This gave Thomas less distractions, and some quiet time to study the manual.

Then the young boy remembered just how bad he was at kanji. Wait! There were translations! Thank the lord for communication. Thomas skimmed through the glossary for what he was looking for.

Why'd the book have to be so damn big? It wouldn't kill the publisher to trim down the book a little.

Aha! The IS controls.

Thomas spent every waking moment that night of that studying and memorizing the controls. He was going to need that info most of all. If he couldn't fly, he was dead. Thomas's eyes focused to the point where they hurt from not blinking for so long.

By the time Ichika had returned from dinner, he found Thomas passed out, and sleeping with his head on the IS Manual.

He didn't know whether to smile of laugh.

* * *

_The Next Day..._

Today was the day.

Time to put the money where the mouth is.

Thomas was in the Pit, doing everything he could to calm down. Breathing, listening to music, dancing, thinking, reassuring himself. He was too wound up, he needed something to relax.

None of which were working.

Ichika and few other students popped in to give him their best wishes.

"You got this!"

Debatable.

"Yeah! If Ichika of all people can pilot an IS, then so can you!"

That...Actually made him feel a little better about himself.

"I saw you tried studying last night." Said Ichika, "I think you got this."

You _think_? Thomas was so dead.

The students were ushered into the Pit's control room, and Chifuyu had one last talk with Thomas.

"I trust you did what you could?"

"That doesn't feel very comforting."

Chifuyu paused. She turned away to go to the control room. She stopped.

"Your mother would be proud." She said without even sparing a glance, and left Thomas to simply stare and wonder.

Would she really?

Thomas perished the thought to concentrate on the battle ahead.

He needed to figure out how Cecilia and Laura fought. He had about a full minute or so to study the data before he had to get in an IS. He pulled up every single bit of footage he could of Alcott and Bodawick in fighting. He was pushing down to the wire this time. The minutes slowed to what seemed like hours as the oncoming storm approached.

Then again, he did manage to come through on schoolwork in this sort of situation. Could he really pull it off again?

"_Scott!_" Crackled Chifuyu's voice over the intercom, "_It's time for you to suit up._"

Thomas nodded, and climbed into the Training IS Unit.

He'd get through this, right?

Thomas then began to walk out of the pit, and into the arena, despite knowing he had to launch.

"_You need to launch, idiot._" Another voice snapped.

"I'll save it for later." He replied plainly.

Meanwhile, in the control room, Houki, Lingyin, Charlotte, and Ichika were all getting tense and nervous over Thomas's apparent lack of understanding.

"Feigned ignorance is the key to honest business." He said.

The students were all dumbfounded. What sort of cryptic bullshit was that? Was he saying random things just to calm down? Did he even have a clue what he was doing?

Thomas jumped off the deck leading to the arena, took a few steps forward, and looked up to face his airborne foes. If he was scared, he must've been doing his best to hide it. He needed a strategy.

Thomas analyzed his foes in his head.

Cecilia would stick to long-range assault, her IS wasn't designed for close-quarters combat. Laura, however, had an IS suited for both close and ranged combat. For the most part, Laura would most likely soften him up and distract Thomas so Cecilia could deal damage from far off. Although, Laura did have a history of being unable to work with others, meaning she would be more likely cancel both Cecelia and herself out.

Thomas then played out every scenario he could think of.

If Laura were to attack him in close-range, he'd have a chance to outwit her, seeing as she'd never actually fought with her hands in an IS. However, that would be easily countered, since she had a bigger arsenal for close-quarters. Besides, she had an "AIC," a device that could freeze moving objects in space.

Cecilia, from what Ichika had told him, was easily a versatile and remote attacker. She used her "Tears" to distract enemies, allowing her to blast them herself. She also had rockets, which were a huge danger on their own. If he were to get blasted by an overwhelming assault, he would not survive, let alone win.

But, maybe he could get them distracted, and use their inability to synchronize against them. However, considering the two's sheer experience, this would be tricky. They had a mutual goal-that being to pummel him senseless-and would do many things to make that happen.

His solutions were to let the time run out, get Cecilia and Laura to fight each other, subdue Laura then Cecilia, use Cecilia to subdue Laura, and vice-versa.

From the current layout, the best-case scenario would end with a tie.

It'd take a miracle to win.

Cecilia and Laura both looked down upon him, like judgmental angels glaring down upon a mortal man from the heavens.

"You know," Said Cecilia, "If you turn tail now, I _might _just forgive you. After all, I _am_ Cecilia Alcott-!"

"Wait-what?"

Thomas called up to her as she made the monologue. Although he could easily hear her, due to communications from the IS Headgear, he was pretending he couldn't.

If he was going down, he was sure as hell wasn't going to let them win without majorly pissing them off. It just wouldn't be right to get beat up without something funny to tell the future grand-kids.

If he would ever live to have them, that is.

"-A high-class noble of Britain. How dare you!? You will listen when you are being spoken t-!"

"Are you making some shameless self-promotional speech or something?"

"Why you-!"

"You need to speak up!"

"Don't you dare-!"

"You're like several miles away from me! All I see is mouth-moving, I don't hear any word-talking!"

"You prick!"

"Say that to my face, blondie!"

"Alright, I will!"

Laura, confused and unamused, rolled her eyes as she watched Cecilia rush headlong at Thomas.

The bell rung, and the battle was underway.

Cecilia quickly recomposed herself as she took aim with her sniper rifle, and opened fire.

Thomas quickly responded, performing a series of ducks, rolls, and sidesteps to escape her barrage.

Laura saw Cecilia's blitz as comedy, giving a small laughing fit when she saw her British ally get so worked up. "What are _you_ laughing at!?" Snapped Alcott, ready to turn her weapon on Laura.

"It ish so funny to vatch you! Like a French poodle!"

Charlotte was offended at the remark from her roommate. They'd have to settle it later.

Laura giggled a little longer, and ceased, quite amused and ready to fight.

"Allow me to take zis one down! I vill show you how it ish done!"

Laura smirked as she charged right for Thomas.

Thomas saw this, and braced for whatever Laura had in store for him.

She activated her wrist-blade. Judging from design and orientation, the weapon was meant for stabbing.

The maker was a smart sonuvabitch.

He jumped back, doing his best to stay out of her range. A task which seemed easy enough. However, it was simply a matter before Laura would catch him with the AIC, and he would be done for.

If he could get enough room and time, he could avoid that.

* * *

In the pit control room, that students were all berating Thomas for not going on the assault.

"What's he doing!? He's gonna lose if he keeps this up!" Snapped Lingyin.

"C'mon already Tommy..." Muttered Ichika.

"It's only his second time in an IS," Said Miss Yamada, "Even if he is able to pilot an IS, he's still fighting _both_ Bodewig and Alcott."

Everyone in the room silently agreed with her.

* * *

Thomas was currently running out of room.

Laura had him.

She opened her palm, and activated her AIC in front of her. The field was close enough to Thomas, and stopped him right in his tracks.

She then gave him a condescending smile.

Her IS unveiled a Railgun, and took aim right at Thomas's head.

Thomas paid attention every second.

His eyes, strangely, remained open and attentive.

Laura could tell he was up to something. The entire fight thus far, he looked distracted, not making a big enough offense. What could this new student be planning? Although it really wouldn't matter, since she was going to win, it would put her at ease to know.

She fired.

This sent Thomas flying across the arena floor, and left him in a heap a veritable distance away. The crowds of students all began to pity the boy for getting beat up so easily.

"This is just sad."

"Two of them? That's not fair!"

"He's gonna get creamed like this."

Thomas groaned as he slowly got to his feet. Strangely, both Cecilia and Laura paused their attack.

Odd, but not unwelcome.

"She's got a tell."

The students in the pit were caught off-guard by his statement.

"That AIC-thingy is risky. She has to deploy it manually, and sticks out her hand every time. The emitter must be in the hand. She has to drop every time she moves or if she wants to fire back."

"He figured out all of that after just seeing it once?"

"I can't take another hit like that though; She just wiped out 25% of my current shield."

"You're an idiot for letting her hit you like that!"

"I needed data and I got it."

The students were all upset as Thomas tried to justify himself.

"Besides," He said, "I'm not down yet."

He got back up as he steeled himself for another assault.

This time, both Laura and Cecilia came at him.

Thomas quickly evaded Laura as he got a glance at Cecilia.

"Cecilia's got a tell too. She hitches her ankles every time she aims. She also doesn't fire her rifle when she's using her drones."

"So!?" Snapped Houki, "If you don't get serious, you're finished!"

"I got this, chill."

Thomas then finally unveiled his new moves.

He fiddled with the controls, and zipped back without touching the ground.

"Got ya number!"

He then jumped, and took flight.

The sight of him finally flying was surprising to both Cecilia and Laura, but neither distracting nor unwelcome.

"So, you _can_ do something basic!" Sneered Cecilia.

Laura gave a small chuckle, "Finally, zis gets to be a _real_ battle!"

Her satisfaction was short-lived, however.

Thomas flew right for Laura, rushing her head-on.

"Did you not learn? Allow me to teach you!" She snapped, extending her left palm, ready to stop him with the AIC and deliver a beating.

Unlike before, Thomas saw it coming. He made a hard, 90 degree zip to the left, and a 45 degree turn to the right a few seconds after. This brought him directly behind Laura. He used this moment to unleash a devastating boxing combo.

* * *

This stunned many of the spectators.

"Was he just toying with them!?" Piped up Ichika.

"Looks like he was." Said Chifuyu, "But that's not what I'm unsettled about."

"Huh?"

"Look at that move he just made. He evaded the AIC and countered without a problem."

"So?"

"The IS he's piloting isn't meant to move like that. He doesn't understand the IS isn't built that way. If he keeps this up..."

The silence made the students wary and nervous.

"What's gonna happen to him?"

* * *

Thomas knew nothing of the IS's limits. However, he did finally figure out how to access the weapons.

"Alrightie, let's see."

The only weapon he had was a sword.

He blanked, breathed, and sighed.

"Well, I've done dumber." He mumbled as he drew his sword.

"Finally!" Said Cecilia, "You've finally decided to make good sport of this!"

"What can I say?" He said with a confident smirk, "I like to make an entrance."

He then put his IS in a classic Jedi saber-fighting stance, as though he'd been doing it all his life. He'd practiced the forms, he had multiple techniques and moves under his belt, he'd even had a few he wanted to test.

Now that he was in an IS, with its immense physical strength, he finally had the opportunity to do more than ever before.

Laura grinned, finally able to enjoy the fight, and activated her own blade. "I've dueled vith vone man before, and I shall do so again!" She leaped right for Thomas, ready to cut him down to size.

Somehow, every attack she made against him was countered flawlessly.

Every spectator was in awe.

"Vha-!?" Laura cried in dismay.

"Now if you'll excuse me-" Thomas zipped past Laura to go fight Cecilia, "-I got work to do."

Laura turned around, peeved by her adversary. She called, "Come here and fight me like a man!"

"Any chance I can convince you to come _here_ and fight me like a woman?"

Houki, Ichika, Charlotte, and Lingyin couldn't help but giggle at Thomas's crack.

Cecilia, however, was getting angrier by the second.

Every attack either Laura or herself made were all countered by Thomas. Was he toying with them this whole time? How was he able to use a Training IS so well? Damn him and his unprecedented abilities!

The British schoolgirl took aim for Thomas, and very rashly began to open fire upon on him.

Sadly for the girls, Thomas was banking on her decision.

Thomas glanced back, and smirked as he saw several blast bolts coming at him from behind. If he timed this right, this would effectively increase his likelihood of surviving. Just as Cecilia's projectiles were seconds away, Thomas moved like a blur, and substituted Laura for his place.

Laura had almost missed the sniper shots, and very clumsily put up her AIC to block them, leaving her angry at Cecilia and vulnerable to Thomas.

"How dare you attack me!?"

"You got in my way, you German Cow!"

"Vat vas zat?"

"We'll settle this later!"

Thomas made a snarky grin, "What's wrong, you two? You seem angry."

"SHUT UP AND DIE!" They screamed.

Laura rushed Thomas, who once again dodged the rash attack.

"Funny," He commented, "I was gonna say the same."

The entire fight, Thomas had been slowly building up frustration and anger within Laura and Cecilia. He was creating enough tension to get them to make a mistake. This was a lot easier to do than he expected. But now?

Now, he had just pushed them over the edge.

* * *

"He's done for." Deadpanned Houki.

"How could you say that!?" Defended Ichika.

"_Sacre bleu!_" Cried Charlotte, "He's made them mad! He won't survive that much punishment!"

"It's _his_ fault. He shoulda kept his mouth shut!" Complained Lingyin.

"Maybe," Said Chifuyu, "Perhaps this is part of his plan."

The students all turned to Chifuyu for an explanation. However, Chifuyu herself did not know Thomas's strategy, since the boy himself had proven to be quite the enigma. He could be planning anything, for all anyone knew.

All, that is, save Thomas.

* * *

Laura was now in a stampede, lashing out angrily at Thomas without relent.

He needed something. Fast.

What could he possibly do now? He had small amounts of proper training, understanding of the controls, so what could he possibly need now? He felt so distracted, and much more out of sync. Sure, he had the moves, he was even able to execute most of them. So, what now?

It dawned him what he was missing the most: Rhythm!

He'd been lacking rhythm this whole time! He'd been fighting without a good rhythm, which was why he'd been on the ropes this whole time. But where would he get rhythm now? The fight was already underway, he couldn't improvise something like rhythm!

Wait...Music has rhythm! If he could get some music playing, he could follow the rhythm!

"Miss Orimura?"

"Yes, Scott?"

"Can you put on _Deja Vu_?"

His question quickly confused even Chifuyu, who'd known the boy as a small child, and grounded herself against his strange ways.

"Might I ask why?"

"I need rhythm. Music has rhythm, and I can follow it. _Deja Vu_ has a pace I can match."

"Well, it's your life." Concluded Chifuyu as she quickly fulfilled the boy's request.

He breathed in, and relaxed.

"Time to dance."

_Deja Vu!_

_I've just been in this place before,_

_Higher on the street!_

Thomas went on the offensive, performing a lot quicker than before. He listened to the song being pumped into his ear, striking-even moving-to the beat.

He might've stood a better chance, had it not been for what happened next.

* * *

**A/N: Done! I decided to make this a 2-parter encounter, since I was really pushing the end of the chapter so far off. Besides, it creates tension for what happens next chapter!**

**This time, I wanted to tell you why I named this chapter "Newtype Sensitivity."**

**The chapter title is a reference to the series, "Mobile Suit Gundam." Since the pilot of the Gundam Mobile Suit, Amaro, is a Newtype human. Very specifically, I chose this title because of Amaro's accident by pushing the Gundam to it's very limits.**

**What could that possibly mean for Thomas? That's for me to write, and you to wait for to find out!**

**Next time: Newtype Sensitivity 2!**

**Thomas has finally learned to fly! Can he win the fight?**

**Can his IS handle the strain?**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	3. Newtype Sensitivity Part 2

**I'm back! Didja miss me? Most likely not!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**As the fight continues, Thomas proves that he, too, can fly! ****Will Thomas prevail against two of the IS Academy's top pilots?**

**Can his IS handle the strain?**

* * *

Thomas was quickly turning the tide of the battle.

_Deja Vu!_

_I've just been in this place before,_

_Higher on the street!_

He moved as though he'd vanish in the blink of an eye. He seemed untouchable now that he learned the propulsion system's controls. He easily put the hurt on both Cecilia and Laura in a matter of seconds.

_And I know it's my time to go!_

_Calling you and the search is mystery,_

_Standing on my feet!_

_It's so hard when I try to be me, yeeeeah!_

He'd quickly practiced drifting as he zoomed across the arena floor. His head still bopping to the beat of _Deja Vu_. When he wasn't blocking or attacking, he was doing small dances moves as the song played on. After a few minutes, the song ended, but Thomas internalized the rhythm, and hummed the song as he fought on.

It sure _seemed_ like he was going to win.

But fate had other plans.

Chifuyu had noticed it first.

The monitor began to blink red. Chifuyu took a look, seeing a display of Thomas's IS. The blinking came from a very specific component in the IS. This component, the IS Core, was essentially the "Black Box" of the IS. It was the most vital part in an IS.

It was the one thing that definitely should never flash red.

"Scott!" She scolded, "You need to slow down, the IS Core is liable to be overloaded!"

"The only reason I'm not being beaten 'till I can't breath is because I'm maintaining this pace! If I drop down now, I'm done for!"

Thomas was not only correct, but making Chifuyu angry because he was right. Chifuyu was also a little peeved at the young boy for not using proper sword techniques, but rather made-up styles from fiction. But, She was impressed however that he was able to adapt from fighting Ichika to both Laura and Cecilia in a single day.

It was still very dangerous for him to be keeping that pace up for too long.

The problem being what constituted as "too long?"

Cecilia was having a very frustrating Monday.

First, this random American schmuck comes out of the blue. Then, he beat Ichika up like it was nothing. He also had the gall to insult her multiple times, fight back, play her for a fool, and fuel nothing but her aggression.

She wouldn't even start on having to deal with that indignant German Cow! She kept getting in the way of her shots, and wouldn't stop undermining Cecilia's performance. But her contempt for Laura Bodewig was nothing compared to how much she hated Thomas.

How dare he!? How could this...this peasant even breath in the same room as her beloved Ichika darling!? He had no right to just strut into this prestigious academy and act like he owned the place! He'd pay for beating Ichika!

If he won, she didn't know whether she'd respect him or despise him.

Laura, on the other hand, wasn't feeling the same way.

In fact, she felt quite happy that the American transfer student was finally putting up a decent fight.

She was simply a little angry at how easily he fought Ichika and won. Other than that, she could see that he was finally giving her something to get serious about. He would make a worthy opponent and ally in battle. Although, he wouldn't be quite the same as her bride, Ichika.

She'd completely forgotten why she got so mad at him in the first place.

Thomas was stunned by his own achievements. He'd never expected to be putting up such a good fight against two very skilled pilots. He'd planned for what he'd do if he was going to lose. He never thought he'd be winning. He also never knew the IS would enable him to fight like he did in his wildest fantasies.

Little did he know how fast everything would go downhill.

Something went wrong. Horribly wrong.

Thomas had fought Laura to a standstill, and managed to Cecilia on the ropes, despite how much she threw at him.

He was giving off a a joyous grin, finally letting himself feel positive and confident for the first time while fighting the girls. He was finally holding his own without pulling back, and proving just how good he was as both a pilot and fighter.

He was getting _over_confident, though.

Laura came in for another charge.

This time, Thomas ran around her left, and whipped around counter-clockwise with a devastating right uppercut. The blow pushed Laura off her feet, and made her fall on her back. For Thomas, he used his feet to increase the uppercut's power, and jumped into the air with Laura. He then switched his right wrist from vertical to horizontal as he came down upon Laura.

He pinned her to the ground by pushing his arm on her neck, effectively applying weight to keep her down. He grinned, seeing as he was actually getting the better of his opponent. However, that joy was short-lived.

Laura recovered, and quickly grabbed Thomas's head with both hands. She then threw him aside as though he were an empty tin can.

She threw him hard enough to send him several yards.

No doubt about it; Her IS was definitely better at Arm-Wrestling than his.

Thomas tumbled back, and hit the arena wall. The collision resulted in Thomas's IS suddenly sparking, and the armor plating on the right arm bursting opening like a crushed orange with electricity.

Thomas grunted in pain.

What just happened!?

Did his IS just drop the barrier?

Metal fatigue?

Did Laura break his shield?

A quick glance at the HUD showed the damage assessment and the shield percentage, which had yet to reach 0.

His IS was still in the game?

Thomas took a glance at the IS arm, only to find the machine had been busted open.

He was in trouble.

Cecilia noticed Thomas's IS getting damaged, and ceased her vengeful attacks.

Laura, on the other hand, pressed further with her assault.

Thomas quickly returned his attention to Laura, and narrowly dodged her oncoming attack. He had to figure out a way to finish the fight without taking on more damage, but how?

Wait, when did Cecilia stop attacking?

The random thought struck just as quick and hard as Laura's fist.

Thomas stumbled.

"Vhat's vrong?" Taunted Laura, "You're getting distracted!"

Thomas tried to make a right cross, but the IS arm wouldn't respond! It was dead in the water! What of the rest of the IS?

Just like his _Wii _Nunchuk back home.

"Time to end zhis!" Chuckled Laura, as she readied her railgun.

Thomas took notice, but wasn't fast enough to dodge. Laura wasn't using her AIC. Normally, Thomas would've still tried to move out of the way, but quickly found that the IS was completely unresponsive.

The fight was over.

Laura laughed, triumphant and righteously, as she fired a round right in Thomas's face.

The blast sent Thomas crashing into the wall, and took out the rest of his shield energy.

The bell sounded off, and Cecilia and Laura were declared the victors.

Laura grinned.

She had won, avenged her bride, and Thomas actually gave her a run for her money. The fight was fulfilling and satisfying to participate in. But she couldn't help but feel that something was off when she made her finisher...

Thomas groaned with disappointment as he climbed out of his IS. The machine was smoking and sparking.

The rig took a serious beating at the end.

The controls crapped out, the shield glitched, and there were several areas that sustained major damage. Thomas took a good, hard look at the IS.

"That's a lotta damage." Muttered Thomas, "And I am fresh out of _Flex Tape_ to fix it."

Thomas slowly inhaled, and relaxed as he exhaled.

This ending would mean one of many things. He'd get respect for putting up a decent fight, he'd get seriously outed for losing, or some strange hybrid of the two.

Either way, he could at least face people with the fact that he had his foes on the ropes for a bit.

Laura called off her IS as she marched up to Thomas.

"You fought vell."

"Thanks."

Thomas blinked. He could hear electric cackling. He had a nasty gut feeling he knew what was making that sound. Laura and Thomas both turned to the Training IS, and found it twitching and jolting uncontrollably.

It didn't take a genius to know what happened.

Thomas, acting on pure instinct, shoved Laura back. But, like an idiot, he made a look back at the IS to see its condition.

A foolish move that proved nearly fatal.

The IS abruptly erupted in a fiery explosion. The shock blew flames on Thomas, and sent him flying. He tumbled to a heap next to Laura, whom was pushed to a very narrow minimum safe-distance. Laura felt the burst in heat in her face, and flinched. Thomas tumbled, and was left in what seemed like a poor imitation of the recovery position.

Like a tree, Thomas lay still.

Everyone watching was left in shock. What just happened?

Chifuyu quickly ordered, "Get Scott to the infirmary, and someone put out that fire, NOW!"

* * *

Several Instructors came on the scene, quickly extinguished the fire, and carried Thomas to the infirmary as carefully and quickly as they could.

He was quickly put in a bed, and encased in bandages. The right side of his head, an eye-patch over his right eye, his shoulder, and every inch of skin on his arm was covered with white bandages.

And that was just the area not covered by a blanket.

Ichika, Charlotte, Lingyin, Laura, Houki, and Cecilia raced as quickly as they could to see if Thomas was alright. They found both Chifuyu and Miss Yamada watching over Thomas. The young boy was still out cold.

"Is he okay?"

"What happened?"

"Will he wake up?"

Chifuyu silenced the students before debriefing them.

"I'll give it straight," Miss Yamada said, "He's got second-degree burns on his right side, and partially on his thigh. He's also got a concussion from being so close to the explosion, he took a heavy hit from the shock. But, he'll live. In fact, he should be mostly back to normal within the next week or so. It's a miracle he wasn't hurt worse, or killed."

"What went wrong?"

"The _idiot_ wouldn't listen." Chifuyu scolded, putting heavy emphasis on "Idiot."

She shot a glare at the injured student, "The IS he used simply wasn't meant to handle him inputting so much so quickly. He overloaded the IS core to the point where it just couldn't keep up. He ended up causing metal fatigue all over the Unit by being so rough, and Bodewig's shot was the nail in the coffin for it."

"You mean he broke the IS by being so fast?"

"Basically, yes. He's too overwhelming for safe use of Training Models. Not that this wasn't to be expected."

The students processed the explanation given to them.

Thomas managed to wreck an IS? Did this mean he was too dangerous to be piloting any IS?

"Honestly," Complained Chifuyu, "If he weren't in such a sorry state already, I'd pummel him myself. The only reason I haven't killed him is because we were able to salvage the Uchigane, and the Core was found intact."

The students said nothing, because they all knew that she would do something like that.

"Anyway," She concluded, "The most you can do for him now is to let him rest and go on with your own activities. Knowing him, he'd probably hit you with his burned arm just to spite you if you waste time here."

Ichika knew very well from experience Thomas would do such a thing.

"Yes, Miss Orimura." They all said.

The group departed. Miss Yamada eventually did the same. Before Chifuyu left, she looked at Thomas one last time.

"You're just like your mother. What am I going to do with you?"

She then departed, reminiscing about how Thomas's mother used to act.

* * *

The day went by, and everyone went about their business feeling very uncomfortable.

Would Thomas be alright?

At lunchtime, the group all began to ask Ichika about his connection to Thomas.

"We're childhood friends."

"You never told me he was here!" Accused Lingyin.

"I was stunned when he popped up two days ago without warning." Murmured Houki.

Thomas, Lingyin, and Houki all met through Ichika. Together, the friends all became close, despite the fact Thomas lived in America. He'd make many visits to everyone in Japan by plane.

But sadly, as time moved on, the group all eventually stopped talking with each other. Houki left, then Lingyin came and gone, and finally, after an incident that started a huge controversy involving Chifuyu, Ichika and Thomas ceased any communication with each other.

"I wonder what happened with him." Said Lingyin.

"I sorta forgot him," Said Houki, "Never expected to see him again, let alone piloting an IS."

"Neither did I." Said Ichika.

"What was he like in the past?" Said Charlotte.

"He was energetic." Said Ichika, "He was incredible at schoolwork, and tutored me, Houki, and Lingyin when we were kids."

"My, my. He was that smart?"

"Sometimes I got the impression he was smarter. He just wouldn't say anything when I asked him."

"It appears he is also a good fist-fighter."

"He was popular for beating down bullies in 5th grade." Said Ichika, "Nobody ever beat him in fighting video games, either. He had a habit of doing fighting moves he saw from video games a lot."

"It seems he has _some_ talent." Observed Laura, "I simply must fight him again vhen he ish back to health."

"He might break another IS." Considered Ichika.

"Zat ish besides zhe point! If he can break an IS, zen clearly zhe IS was too veak for him."

Ichika then took notice of Cecilia's silence.

"Cecilia, is everything alright?"

"I suppose I _do_ feel a bit guilty for my part in this." Mumbled Cecilia.

She then perked up, "I know! I'll make the poor thing some food for when he wakes up! He's a growing boy, he needs nourishment, after all!"

Ichika, knowing very well how good Cecilia was at cooking, began to fear for his friend's life.

"You really don't need to!"

"But of course I do! He's bound to be starving when he recovers!"

Cecilia got up, and went back to her room to make food.

Ichika did his best, but he couldn't stop her.

He felt so guilty, for not warning Thomas of Cecilia's cooking sooner.

Cecilia hummed a tune as she completed her task of making a large assortment of sandwiches. She walked down to the infirmary with a basket in hand. She felt quite confident that Thomas would forgive her for any misdeeds she had done to him once he eats himself into a food coma!

It was the perfect plan!

She walked into the room, only to find Thomas still had yet to wake up. This gave her time to prepare! She quickly wrote an apology note for him, then went about the rest of her day, feeling jovial now that she made amends with Thomas. Her plan was to coax him awake by getting him to smell food, and eat it.

Now all they had to do was wait for him to wake up to the smell of delicious food.

* * *

Thomas groaned as he rolled onto his left.

"Jus...five more minutes..."

His eyes, however, were now blinded through his eyelids from bright light. He blinked multiple times. He hated it when his eyelids couldn't block out light when he wanted to sleep.

Good God, it was so bright.

He winced and groaned as he slowly got up. He had a king-sized headache at the moment. It felt like someone hit him with a truck, and then came back to do it again, and finally came back again to finish the job?

Why did he smell fried chicken?

Why was he in what appeared to be the infirmary?

The last waking moments then hit Thomas like the metaphorical truck once more as the memories flooded back in. He then glanced at his bandages. Jeez, he got really busted up. He then peeled off some of the bandages to assess the damage.

"Damn, I literally got roasted." He muttered.

_"But that did explain what smelled like fried chicken."_ He thought.

He yawned as he tried to get off the bed.

He tried to stand up, only to have his right leg buckle and nearly fall over.

Thomas got a full examination of his body.

Thankfully, he wasn't naked, and still wearing his pilot uniform. His right arm, right side of both his head and torso, even his right thigh were all wrapped up in bandages. He also had a medical eye-patch obscuring his right eye. Sadly, he still did not qualify as a pirate.

A quick glance at the window revealed he might've been out for the entire day; It was nighttime. But what hour? He'd left his wristwatch in his room with his uniform before the fight.

His stomach rumbled.

He remembered; He didn't have any food all day! He was too invested in getting ready for the match, he skipped breakfast. He obviously missed lunch. What should he do for dinner?

Thomas turned around, finding a basket and a paper.

"_Get Better, Thomas dear. You're a very skilled IS Pilot, and I look forward to watching you excel in the days to come. Sincerely, Cecilia Alcott._"

Strange, but not unwelcome.

Wasn't Cecilia the angry one?

Doesn't matter; FOOD!

Thomas opened up the basket. Sandwiches galore!

They all looked appealing. But, Thomas couldn't help but feel a chill go down his spine. Did she poison the sandwiches or something?

Cecilia was rich, right? Surely, she took cooking lessons?

Aw, what the heck! He couldn't go to the cafeteria looking like this.

What could possibly go wrong?

Thomas examined each sandwich, scanning each one to decide which he would have first. They all looked appealing, which really sucked since he was indecisive in these sorts of situations.

After some time of staring like an idiot, Thomas finally randomly picked a sandwich.

He almost took a bite. He stopped, as he got more lingering doubts and fears in his mind.

_"Peel off the band-aid, Scott."_ Thomas affirmed.

Thomas then opened his mouth, and took a massive bite of the sandwich. He chewed and chewed. Until finally, he swallowed the bite of the sandwich, and let it settle into his stomach as he received the results.

Instant regret.

It felt as though someone teleported their fist into his guts with a full-force punch. Did Cecilia come up with a new type of warfare? "Stomach discomfort" was abandoned long ago, this was a frag grenade going off in his intestines.

Cafeteria it is.

But first, Thomas had to get rid of the evidence.

That way, Cecilia wouldn't know, and Thomas would live to see another day with a semi-intact appetite.

* * *

Thomas limped out of the infirmary.

Hopefully, he could up and leave whenever he wanted. If not, that would end badly for him. Especially since the school nurse would throw a fit if she found out he vanished. Wait, did the IS Academy even have a school nurse?

He also had to keep a low profile. He may have purged the potential threat that would doom Humanity, but he had to watch out. If Cecilia caught him...

...He already broke one IS. Chifuyu would kill him if he broke another. Hopefully he wasn't already a dead man walking, or in this case, sneaking. Thomas looked around himself as much as he could. It stung a little when he turned right.

Thomas could only pray he wouldn't look like Two-Face for the rest of his life.

The young boy sneaked his way through the halls, watching carefully for Cecilia while trying to reach the cafeteria for real food. He'd have the savory, mouth-watering taste of literally anything on the menu...

He then realized his wallet was still in his school uniform pants in his dorm room.

He blanked.

If anything, it wouldn't be a real stealth mission without something like this happening.

Thomas then changed directions, limping and crouching at the same time. It hurt a little, but it had to be done in order to be stealthy.

Now that he thought about, he probably looked very suspicious right now.

He just hoped no-one was around to-wait. Wasn't he keeping track of that?

A quick glance yielded not a soul in his sight.

Thomas moved quickly, and keep an eye on his surroundings. If Cecilia saw him, she'd question him about the sandwiches. He had an easy alibi, but Thomas learned that alibis were very risky.

He had to get his wallet, and get some decent food in his tummy.

His stomach growled. He could only pray that it wasn't rejecting that abomination Cecilia called a sandwich. If he barfed now, that would just make his current condition worse than it needed to be.

Besides, it'd just hurt him a lot worse.

The dorms! Finally!

Thomas scanned the metal labels on the doors. He had to find his room with all possible haste. Out here, he was exposed and vulnerable.

The thought occurred to Thomas that Cecilia would make him more food.

A terrifying method of the worst kind of torture.

There it was! His room! At last!

Thomas looked around as he opened the door and quickly raced inside, closing the door quietly afterward.

The foreign transfer student rummaged through his belongings for his wallet. After a few minutes of searching, Thomas had located his quarry. He was about to leave as he then paused.

Should he really go into the cafeteria looking like this?

It's not as if he could just take off the bandages and roll with it. Still, he got a lot of hassle for wearing nothing but spandex shorts once, when he was in a play and couldn't eat in his costume.

Maybe he should put on some more clothes...Nah. It'd just be a big pain to put them on and take them off with his current injuries.

He decided to risk it.

* * *

Thomas then jogged quickly and cautiously as he made his way from the dorms to the cafeteria.

He probably should've gotten his watch when he was in his room.

Thomas scanned the cafeteria as he finally managed to get from one place to the other without trouble. One glance revealed it was still something relatively close to dinnertime. So he wasn't too late to get food.

Now if only everyone would stop staring at him.

He quickly got in line, receiving an increasing number of stares from girls. He could hear them whisper and gossip about his wounds and his body. When he placed food on his tray, the lunch-ladies might've blushed a little. He did feel a little anxious with everyone in the room simply staring at his body, but he wasn't about to complain.

He couldn't tell who was or wasn't, he was too busy putting food on his tray.

"He looks hot."

"He's a cutie."

"Isn't that the American foreign transfer student?"

"He's stacked!"

"He's immoral! He should put some clothes on! The pervert!"

"What's with those bandages?"

"Didn't you hear what happened? He got caught in an explosion!"

"What!? How!?"

"everybody's saying he _broke_ an IS and caused it to explode."

"No way!"

Ichika and the rest heard the chatter, and took notice of Thomas getting food. Thomas checked out and set off to find a table to sit at. He then noticed Ichika waving for him to come over to the table and join the group.

And then he saw Cecilia sitting with them.

This quickly turned into a very awkward situation.

"Hi guys." Said Thomas, putting on his Poker-Face. He then set his tray down at the table, and struggled to sit down. He picked up his fork with his left, and proceeded to devour the excessive amount of food before him.

The group simply stared as Thomas ravaged his tray.

"Even after all the sandwiches I made you, you're still as hungry as a hippo! Typical boy at your age!" Cecelia joked offhandedly.

Thomas began to fear for his life. Cecilia put him on the spot, if she figured out the truth...

"Mhm." He whimpered, his mouth full of food.

Crisis averted.

He just might make it to tomorrow.

"You really shouldn't be so active after getting hurt like that, idiot!" Scolded Lingyin.

"Lingyin!?" Thomas had only now noticed the small girl.

"Hmph! You don't even recognize me! Stupid-head!" She insulted.

"Good to see you awake." Said Houki.

"Houki! Haven't seen you in years, how have you been?"

"I've managed."

"Good to see you-!"

Thomas stopped, and stared at Laura. He seemed entranced, as if the sight of her put him in a daze. To Thomas, he was seeing Laura's face in full detail for the first time. He wasn't attracted by her beauty, but rather, her face had sparked a memory he'd completely forgotten.

"Ish something vrong? You are staring."

"No-no...Just got a weird sense of deja vu...It's nothing." Thomas said, not wanting to pursue the topic any further. Quickly, he switched subjects, and made it obvious to everyone he was hiding something.

"A-Anyway," He said, "How're you all doing? I thought you lot would've gone nuts when you saw me like this."

Ichika didn't speak, currently trying to think of why Thomas was so abrupt with his transition. Ichika eventually decided that he'd ask Thomas about it later.

The group talked and talked as Thomas dusted off his dinner. They talked of stories that had happened after they all stopped seeing each other. Funny stories, romantic stories, even a few sad stories.

"Do you have a crush, Thomas?" Questioned Houki.

"No!" Blurted out Thomas. Houki gave him an unconvinced look.

"Maybe."

Houki was still not convinced.

"Okay, fine, yes." He finally admitted.

The others all brought down the questions on him.

"Who's the one?"

Thomas was quickly on the spot, embarrassed and blushing.

"H-Her name's...Nana."

"What's special about her?"

"She's...Nice."

"You can't fool us! There's something you're not saying!"

"She was the only one who didn't laugh at me as a kid."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I had a dream of being an IS pilot back then. When I told everyone about it, they all laughed. Nana was the only one who stuck up for me. After that, she'd became the prettiest girl I ever saw."

"Oh..."

"Come to think of it, I guess I'm living my dream."

"Did you confess?"

"No." Said Thomas, "She...Was always so busy as time passed. I didn't want to add onto her workload. Besides, she ended up going to an all-girls private school. We exchanged contact info, but I haven't got the the chance to call."

Thomas lied. He was truthful about the contact info, her moving to an all-girls private academy, and that he did not confess to her. He lied about her being too busy. He could've confessed anytime he chose, for she never seemed too busy to ignore Thomas. He simply didn't confess out of anxiety.

He lied about it to maintain the impression that he was not afraid of anything.

If only he could talk to Nana...

"Didn't expect you to be the lovey-dovey type." Chifuyu's voice came from nowhere.

Thomas jolted, whipping around to find Chifuyu standing behind him. Her arms folded, and her expression with an unamused glare. The aura around her simply screamed blood-lust and murder.

She was in a good mood.

"Good to see you still have the energy to get up, Scott."

"Mhm." He whimpered with very audible voice cracks.

"However," She stated, "Students don't just up and leave the infirmary without telling someone. There's a process for these things."

He was so dead.

"I'd hit you, but you're already injured enough as it is. That said, I'll come up with an fitting punishment in due time."

"Mhm."

"I was going to wait until you were to say this next part," She then went on to tell him the news, "After your little 'accident' with the Training IS today, I'm prohibiting you from piloting IS Units, until one that can handle you has been provided."

"Does that mean I can get my own rig!?" Thomas asked, his voice brimming with joy.

"Something like that, yes."

"Well," He said, trying to calm down, "If I could pick and choose, I'd want to use a Rafale-Revive."

"Oddly specific. Tell me why."

"The IS has a modular system, making it more versatile in the air and on the ground. And simply put, it's just an easier IS to use for all-range combat."

"You seem to have quite a bit of knowledge abut IS Units."

"I wanted to be one as a kid. So, I did some research."

"Anyway," Concluded Chifuyu, "Seeing as you can function normally, you can sleep in your own room tonight, instead of the infirmary. Be advised that this does not excuse you from classes, since you've proven you can continue."

"Yes, ma'am." Groaned Thomas.

"And by the way..."

Thomas paid attention.

"...Put on some real clothing, at least. If you come to class like this, your current injuries won't help you. You were transferred from a public school, so there weren't strict dress codes. But this is a private academy, we have standards."

"Yes, Miss Orimura." Thomas said, quickly snapping to attention.

Chifuyu then left the group to finish up their meal and go to bed.

* * *

Thomas had finally gotten out of his pilot uniform and into his pajamas.

It took a lot of strain and effort.

If he applied pressure, sudden movements, or hefty lifting, the burns would begin to hurt. It was very annoying to deal with.

"Hey, Thomas?" Said Ichika.

"Yee?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why'd you stare at Laura?"

Thomas breathed in, and sighed. "I suppose there's no point in trying to convince you otherwise, is there?"

"No. Tell me."

"Bodewig reminded me of something."

"Like what?"

"I...Don't know. That's the problem. Pale skin, crimson eyes, silvery hair...Or was it snow-white? I just...Felt like I saw those features somewhere before."

Thomas paused, before letting out one last answer.

"I could've sworn it was someone familiar. Satisfied?"

"Y-Yeah, I guess."

"Good, because this conversation's making me uncomfortable.

The boys went to bed without another word.

Ichika passed put almost instantly. He was used to Thomas giving cryptic messages. He usually went cryptic whenever it was a topic he was uncomfortable with, or with the intent of letting others figure it out themselves. Either way, tomorrow is another day.

Thomas, however, sat on the edge of his bed to think.

He couldn't fall asleep.

That strange, recurring image of a certain mystery person playing over and over again in his thoughts. Uncertainty lingered as Thomas considered the only explanation he could think of.

_"Did Laura remind me of mom?"_

* * *

**A/N: Ta-da! Another chapter complete!**

**The hardest part was finding a way to shift Thomas's mother-subplot into the story without too much complication. Although it probably would've been smarter to introduce his mom's facial features earlier, the idea didn't occur to me until now.**

**In eventual chapters, I'll start revealing what makes Thomas so special.**

**It's also worthy of saying that this story starts off between episodes 8 and 9 of the anime, and will start to be a part of the storyline roughly by next chapter. This story will still follow Thomas, in case people are wondering.**

**Anyway, Thomas is going to learn about things he'd long forgotten next time!**

**Next Time: Shopping Trip.**

**Thomas has to get ready for a school trip to the beach coming up soon! He races to the malls to get what he needs; Games, DLC, consoles, and probably something actually important. Whatever that may be.**

**And that's when he notices the world outside the IS Academy isn't as calm and collective as he thought it was.**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	4. Shopping Trip

**Let's get rolling!**

**Disclaimer: I do not Infinite Stratos.**

**As the week progresses, Thomas must prepare for the upcoming School Beach Trip!**

**This can only go so many ways for a young teenage boy.**

**Thomas quickly rushes to the mall to gather the essentials for a trip: A console, games, movies, and more games! But will Thomas discover that he might need more than moments entertainment? Probably not!**

**But when Thomas sets out on a shopping trip, he discovers life outside the IS Academy isn't as quiet as he thought it was.**

* * *

_Then..._

_"Now kids," Said the teacher, "What do you all want to be when you grow up?"_

_"I wanna be a race-car driver!"_

_"I'm gonna be an astronaut!"_

_"I'll drive trains!"_

_"A hairstylist!"_

_"What do you want to be when you grow up, Thomas?"_

_Thomas stood up, smirking confidently as he finally made his answer._

_"When I grow up," He belted out proudly, "I wanna be an IS Pilot!"_

_The entire 5th-grade class fell silent._

_And then, it started._

_"You? An IS Pilot?"_

_"Hah! As if!"_

_"Everybody knows that only girls can be IS Pilots!"_

_"That was so funny! You can be a comedian when you grow up!"_

_"What dude would want to be an IS Pilot? It's so girly!"_

_"Tommy's a girly girl!"_

_"Lame!"_

_"Freak!"_

_"Class, be nice-!"_

_"He wants to be a girl! Weirdo!"_

_"That's uncalled for-!"_

_"Thomas is a girl~! Thomas is a girl~!"_

_Thomas was hit where it hurt the most. His face fell as he sat back down, ashamed and humiliated. He put his head down on the desk as he covered with his arms, in a failed attempt to block out the mass of jeers, insults, and offenses. He could hear them, and it just got louder and louder. Until the point came when it felt as though the volume had been turned up to a deafening level beyond what anyone had ever experienced._

_Thomas closed his eyes, refusing to look around him._

_There was only two people in the room who weren't laughing at him. But the noise was so great, he couldn't tell the difference._

_It was the end of the school day, and the school year._

_The teacher was asking them what they wanted to be when they became adults. Other kids took something reasonable, but ultimately lacking. Thomas, being the dreamer, wanted to aim higher than the rest._

_Right now, that shot looked pretty impossible._

_The bell rang, the day was over._

_The other students all eagerly raced outside, ready to begin their summer vacation. They'd make fun memories, do fun things, and have fun little adventures._

_The teacher, Miss Willis, was packing up, ready to enjoy her summer as well. She still felt awful for being unable to get kids to act nice to Thomas._

_She then noticed a certain someone._

_Thomas hadn't moved an inch after he put his head down. He was on the verge of tears. What hurt the most was that Thomas didn't have friends, everyone else only talked to him when he firmly placed himself in the conversation, and couldn't get away. Sure he was allowed to participate in activities, but none of the other students ever truly saw him as a friend._

_What really hit the nail into the coffin was that when Thomas was quiet, it was like he wasn't even there. People forgot about him, and were surprised when he finally spoke, as though he'd just appeared from thin air itself._

_She'd have to cheer him up somehow._

_Miss Willis walked over to Thomas's desk._

_She knew the boy felt miserable. It hurt her to know that no matter what she did, he was always stuck at square one. She could feel her eyes fighting to hold back the swelling tears, she fought hard to keep from breaking down where she stood._

_She placed her hand on his shoulder, and he finally looked up to see her._

_"Miss Willis?" He asked, his voice trembling, "D-do you think I c-can be an IS Pilot?"_

_The question became the tipping point for the poor teacher._

_"I-I'm...Sorry, Thomas." She broke, "If things were different, you could. But...Maybe..."_

_Tears were creeping in. Thomas was cursed with the capacity to fully understand what she meant._

_"Maybe you should set your sights on something more...Realistic."_

_She could see the final drops of hope drain from Thomas's face, which hurt her more than anyone thought possible._

_"You can't. Only women can pilot IS Units."_

_Thomas's face froze._

_Miss Willis was about to go from whimpering to full-on sobbing._

_The little boy's face began to tremble. Suddenly, Thomas bolted out of his seat, snatched his bag, and began to cry and sob as he ran out the classroom door. He didn't look back, nor did he want to. If he did, he'd see his teacher fall to her knees, and cry as well._

_His world fell apart. And his teacher, who was the one who wanted him to live happy, was the one to make the final crack in the glass utopia he sat on._

_Sadly, that's how it went for Thomas. Every day._

_Literally everyone told he couldn't. He wasn't a girl, so he couldn't be an IS Pilot. It felt like the world was against him._

_And for once, it really was._

_The young boy ran out of the school, trying to hold back his tears until he made it out of the building. He knew too well he couldn't suppress the crying, and settled for breaking down away from prying eyes._

_That way, people wouldn't look down upon him more than they already did._

_Thomas burst out of the main door, and was too emotional to care about the sudden change in lighting hurting his eyes. He ran and ran until he reached the street-side curb, and stopped._

_He threw down his backpack irrationally. He then sat down on the curb, with his feet on the asphalt of the road, and promptly began to let it all out. He sobbed heavily and loudly, not caring if anyone was watching._

_The world took his dream, he'd make a goddamned disturbance if he wanted to._

_Those bunch of jerks! His classmates, his teacher-all of them! Just a big bunch of jerks! He'd show 'em! He'd show 'em all! He could be an IS Pilot too! He'd become the best IS Pilot there ever was! That'll show 'em!_

_The cold, unforgiving reality finally hit Thomas, like an ice-cold, frozen slap to the face._

_They were right, they were all right. He couldn't be an IS Pilot. Only girls could be IS Pilots. It just wasn't fair! But it was fact._

_He cried on and on without an end in sight for several minutes. He continued his sobbing until his eyes simply couldn't produce tears anymore. As he stopped bawling, he simply just sat on the curb with puffy cheeks and bloodshot eyes._

_And at long last, she finally came up to him._

_"I don't think it's stupid."_

_Thomas whipped around._

_"N-Nana?"_

_"I think you'd be a cool IS Pilot." Nana Andreas said as she she sat down next to him._

_"But only girls can be IS Pilots!" He snapped emotionally._

_"I don't care. I think you're awesome!" She supported._

_Thomas and Nana used to sit together at the beginning of the year. Since then, seat rotations had separated them. In the time they spent side-by-side, they became relatively close._

_Nana still remembered the event that got them to talk with each other._

* * *

_It was the very first day of school, and Nana was quite shy. Unlike Thomas, who was energetic and boisterous. Nana had noticed that she didn't have nearly enough school supplies, barely enough to get her through the day._

_Oddly, Thomas had been paying attention to her._

_"Do you have enough stuff?"_

_"Hm!? Oh, um, yeah!" She said, caught off-guard by Thomas's sudden interest in her._

_Thomas stared at her for roughly half-a-minute longer before turning to his own belongings._

_Nana finally relaxed her facade, hoping Thomas didn't catch on to her little white lie._

_She then saw Thomas pulling out a massive amount of school supplies, and offered all of them to her._

_She looked with both trepidation and confusion._

_"You don't have enough. Take this!"_

_"Buh-bu...But-!"_

_"It's fine! I got a lot more stuff! It won't matter!"_

_"M-mhm."_

_She quickly took Thomas's offerings, and added them to her own inventory. The donation was simply massive! With this, she could last a long time!_

_Thomas was so nice._

_And ever since, whenever Nana looked at Thomas after that moment, he became the most handsome and cutest boy she laid eyes upon._

* * *

_This was her chance! If she showed her support, maybe Thomas would see her as...A special someone._

_"You really think I can be an IS Pilot?" He asked._

_"Of course! You're the greatest in the world!"_

_Thomas paused to process her kindness, "Thanks."_

_Thomas's dad finally came to pick him up. The two parted ways, for the time being. They spent that entire summer vacation as the best of friends. Nana had become less shy around Thomas in that time._

_After that, Nana became the prettiest girl Thomas ever saw._

* * *

_Now..._

Thomas woke up at the crack of dawn.

_"Weird,"_ He thought, _"It's been a while since I dreamed about that day."_

It was refreshing. They all laughed at him for wanting to be greater, but he almost ready to bust his gut in laughter of how wrong they were.

The boy got out of his bed, checking his injuries.

As the week went on, his wounds began to heal. His burns eventually went away. Sadly, the sensitivity seemed to kick in whenever he took a shower. Showers that week were painful as the steaming hot water hit his sensitive skin.

The concussion was also a real pain.

During the middle of class, Thomas sometimes found himself stumbling, blacking out, collapsing, and nearly hitting his head and risking further injury. Most of the time it was a combination of the four. Thankfully, he recovered moments before hitting the floor and changed from falling to push-ups.

This method had a 50/50 chance that it actually worked.

Thankfully, that went away as time went on.

His burns didn't inhibit him much, since he confirmed himself he was left-handed.

He yawned, happy that he didn't wake up with an eye-patch or any trace of bandages on his skin. He'd managed to make it all the way to another Sunday! Not much happened that week, since Thomas wasn't allowed to use an IS after making one explode.

A bummer. But Chifuyu had yet to make good on her threat of punishing him.

That left him sleeping in fear. He'd have to be on guard at all times.

He yawned. Time to start his first weekend that hopefully wouldn't put him under more pressure than a submarine, for the second time.

Thomas went to the fridge, and pulled out a bottle of water.

After what happened last time, he made sure to bring some food for himself.

He downed his water bottle within a matter of minutes, maybe seconds. He was quite thirsty that morning. Thomas wondered what to do that morning. He wasn't able to use an IS, Ichika was still down and out-!

A glance at Ichika's bed took Thomas's interest.

Why was there another shape other than Ichika? Did he sneak a girl in while Thomas was asleep? Was Ichika a deadbeat?

A quick check revealed it was none other than Laura. Normally, Thomas would be making a very scenic reaction, but he was simply too tired to care in the morning.

Eh, doesn't matter.

Within a week, Thomas had quickly took notice of how popular with the girls Ichika was. Thomas had a fair share of his own followers, to be sure. But when it came down to it, Ichika seemed unaware of how many girls were trying to push a romance with him.

He was like God's living chastity belt. No way he could do it without something controlling him.

Thomas began to think of what he should do today.

Gaming? Visiting dad? Make the call?

Thomas pulled out his phone. With a couple taps, he was at the call button for one Nana Andreas. His heart began to race. Should he do it? What if she was just waking up? He'd forgotten the difference in time zones, and couldn't decide to press call or not.

After a minute of debating with himself, he chickened out and turned off the phone.

He just wasn't ready.

He then noticed he missed a few calls from Nana. When would Nana have the time to call him?

Sadly, she didn't leave any messages. Whatever was going on, Thomas was going to either wait for her to call again, or call her himself. That would give him a heart attack.

That settled it, Thomas would have to busy himself. He didn't want to hurt Nana's feelings, but he would probably pass out from his heart racing so much. Thomas changed into casual clothes, and set about for the day.

This time, he wore a generic long sleeve and green cargo shorts.

He set out the door, only to find Houki in her Kendo uniform.

"Is Ichika still asleep?" She asked.

"Yeah, go on in."

It was only less than a minute later Thomas could hear Ichika screaming like a rooster being strangled. Oddly perfectly timed in the day for a joke like that.

The day had begun.

* * *

Thomas learned quickly to always be wary when in the halls. He risked getting held up by mobs of girls, all of them wanting him, or very specific parts of him. He also learned to stay on topic, even if no-one else was. This usually made him one of the first people to finish classwork.

These tips also helped him to discover shortcuts he could take to point A to point B and not be late. Mostly.

Wait. Wasn't there a school trip coming up soon?

During his time in American public schools, the field trips usually slowed down during middle school, and mostly ceased in high school. Sure there were still trips, but none that were so school-wide as the ones from earlier years.

Where were they going again?

Wasn't summer vacation coming up?

Oh right! They were going to the beach!

Wait. They were going to the beach...

The beach...

That meant...

Thomas shook the naughty thought from his mind.

But that meant bikinis and girls in _very..._Revealing outfits. Sure, what teenage boy wouldn't want a literal beach-full of girls in swimsuits?

But Nana was the only one for Thomas! He'd sully his heart for her if things went down.

He'd have to seriously practice chastity during this trip.

That settled it: Thomas would go shopping in preparation for the school trip.

* * *

Thomas made the train trip back to the mainland.

He had to think of things to buy on this trip. He'd need something to distract him from...Things. He'd also need something to pass the time, and maybe a new pair of swim trunks.

The shopping mall complex should have what he needed.

All he had to do now was not get lost.

For Thomas, getting lost was to be expected 99% of the time.

Among his long list of problems, Thomas had earned many of the strangest but also the funniest stories one could have. Such as, the time he took a foam dart gun to the groin...

...Multiple times. And many, many more times after that.

Ever since, Thomas had always worn a jockstrap with a protective cup, to reduce risk of injuries to...His special place. So far, he'd managed to survive attacks to that area that normally would put him on the ground.

He might just be able to have kids someday.

This was getting off track. Focus, Thomas! Shopping trip! Plain and simple!

Thomas looked around. What could he use on this trip?

Perhaps he and Ichika could do some gaming...

A spare gaming console!

He'd been waiting for the chance and the excuse to buy some new games.

Might as well add some games he could get in Japan to his collection. Thomas raced to the nearest arcade store, and stocked up on both a new, compact console, some more gaming controllers, and some new games.

Entertainment checked off, what next?

He needed a new pair of swim trunks.

Thomas was popular in school for his contribution to the swim team. He was not only one of-if not the-fastest members on the team, and in the league. A small problem being that all he had in terms of wear was a pair of swim jammers.

Every time he got out of the water, they usually clung to his body and exposed certain areas that weren't meant to be out in public. He quickly went to go buy a new pair of decent and baggy swim trunks. And the problem was solved.

Currently, that was all he could think of. Anything probably would be on impulse buy.

That's when Thomas saw Ichika and Charlotte walking in his general direction...

...While holding hands.

_"Damn, Ichika."_ Thought Thomas, _"You're a two-timer? What have you been up to?"_

"Oh! Hey Thomas!" Called Ichika.

"Morning Ichika." Thomas said back.

"Doing some shopping for the school trip too?"

"Yeah. You two on a date or somethin'?"

"Wait-what!? What gave you that idea!?"

"R-Right! Why would we ever do something like that?"

Thomas then noticed Charlotte's face sink to dread and despair.

Ouch.

"Relax," Said Thomas, "I'm just messin' with ya."

The trio then heard someone shout, "Help! Shoplifter!"

The supposed "shoplifter" was currently running in their general direction.

"Amateur." Thomas muttered under his breath.

The thief ran right past Ichika, Charlotte, and Thomas. For a moment however, it seemed as though Thomas and the shoplifter had made eye contact with one another. Instantly, Thomas gave chase.

"Wait up!" Said Ichika, letting go of Charlotte's hand and following, Charlotte quickly caught up with Ichika. However, neither were able to catch up with Thomas, nor the thief. Thomas, however, was easily able to not only catch up to the thief, but pass him.

He ran at high speed, almost hitting his top. He was saving his full sprint for in case his first attempt failed.

Thomas ran ahead of the thief, and then turned around. He stuck out his arm, and ran at full-speed for the thief.

Boom! Thomas clotheslined the shoplifter with a devastating left hook.

Mall Security came on the scene, and quickly detained the shoplifter. Thomas was left on a bench to catch his breath while nursing his arm, a wheezing could be heard as he inhaled and exhaled. Ichika and Charlotte finally caught up with him.

Wow, the left hook really did a number on him.

"Wow! You got him quick!" Observed Ichika.

"He's so basic. I had five different ways of stopping 'em when he went past us."

"Really?"

"Run up the stairs and land on him, trip him, take a blunt object and clock hi-!"

"Okay okay! I'll take your word for it!" Pleaded Ichika. Ichika then zoned out and looked elsewhere. Both Charlotte and Thomas were confused. Ichika snapped back to reality as he said, "Oh, sorry! I just remembered, there's something I need to do!" The boy then ran off.

_"What's with him?"_ Pondered Thomas.

"U-Um..." Babbled Charlotte, "S-Since you're Ichika's roommate-and childhood friend-I was wondering..."

"Hm?"

"How do I...Get him to...to..."

Thomas quickly picked up on her question.

"Alright. I get it. I do."

"Really?"

"But I gotta warn you; It's gonna be unbelievably hard to get him."

"Wha!?"

"He's so dense, you could hit his skull with Mt. Everest and it wouldn't even get scuffed!"

"You mean-!"

"He's a living chastity belt, are you still willing to try?"

"Y-Yes!"

Thomas gave Charlotte a look of pride.

"Well then," He said, "You got guts. Now you just need to figure it out. My advice? Be subtle at first, but eventually get a little bolder. And if that doesn't work...Slap his face and tell it to him straight. If that doesn't work, nothing will. This method still has a big margin for error, you might not get him, you might. It's all depending on just how much of an idiot he is."

"I see! _Merci beaucoup!_"

"You can thank me by getting the dummy to notice you."

"Mhm!"

Charlotte then went about to conduct her personal business.

It wouldn't be long before the beach trip was upon them.

* * *

_"Look at him!" A very joyous woman's voice exclaimed._

_"He's soo cuute!" Said another._

_"I...I can't believe I'm a father now..." Said a man's voice, as though he was about to cry._

_"What's his name?"_

_A noticeable pause filled the room._

_"Thomas." Said the first woman's voice._

_Thomas opened his eyes to see the land of the living for the very first time._

_Wow, the land of the living was very bright._

_The infant's eyes adjusted to the stinging light, only to see her._

_She had deep, crimson eyes. Pale skin, as though it was untouched by the sun. Long, snow-white hair._

_"Look! He's looking at me! He knows I'm his Mama!"_

_Ma...Ma?_

_She gave a warm and loving look as she made eye contact with Thomas._

_Mama-!?_

* * *

Thomas jolted awake.

The young boy found himself still on the bench in the mall. He must've fallen asleep.

_"What...What was that?"_ He thought to himself.

Who was that woman? Was she really his mother? Why was he thinking about this now? Of all times?

Thomas checked his watch, he'd been sleeping in an upright sit for a full hour. He quickly rubbed his eyes and then continued his shopping trip. His arm stopped aching, his breathing didn't sound like a dying vacuum, and he didn't get an adrenaline rush.

So far, so good.

Thomas checked his watch, it was 3:00 PM. He had the time to get more shopping done.

Thomas quickly went to go buy snacks for the trip. It probably wasn't necessary, but it would still feel relaxing to stock up just in case. One of the reasons he liked shopping was because he was alone with his thoughts.

Any downsides to shopping? He was sensitive to loud sounds.

Back as a freshman in American high school, Thomas found time to research his diagnosed mental ailment.

He had been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. That meant he had sensitivity to noises, compulsive and impulsive behavior, and ended up repeating things he did or said persistently.

It'd been a hassle, but he pulled through it all the years before. He'd forced himself through thick and thin for friends he'd made during freshman year. He finally had multiple friends, he'd do anything if it meant he could stay with them.

So far, it had only been about a full week in the IS Academy, and his sanity had been stretched beyond that of the normal stress-test. Hefty amounts of homework, unnecessary attention, and draining classwork all took their toll upon Thomas.

The question being why he was whining about it now, when he should be shopping for a beach trip.

Thomas took a look at his wallet, it was starting to empty out.

That settled it, he was finished shopping. Besides, he got pretty much everything he needed anyway.

If he recalled, they still had sunscreen back home, some used goggles, and other things.

And that was that!

Thomas then left the mall to head back to the house, ready to unpack his haul and unwind.

However, throughout the trip, he felt he was being watched.

Sure, every time he made a look around, there was no-one. He even took subtle glances, which yielded nothing as well.

Whoever was watching him was adequate at their job.

Thomas hurried down the sidewalk, wanting to get home before anything had the chance to happen. However, in his imperative, he didn't notice a pair of crimson eyes tracking him as he moved.

It was only a matter of time.

* * *

**A/N: Not much happened this chapter, and I'm fine with that.**

**I just wanted to break from all the sudden IS matches. Take the pacing a little bit slower, it's relaxing, a little.**

**After doing some thinking, I decided to add in a few more male OCs. Not too many, only a few.**

**However, next chapter, Thomas gets his own IS Unit! Who knows? He might even pilot another certain IS Unit...**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	5. Worst Summer Ever, Part 1

**Here we go! Thanks for everyone who supports this story, I never really saw myself actually writing it. Oddly enough, this story hasn't been around as long, and yet it's far more popular than most of my other stories!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**The School Beach-trip is underway!**

**The students and teachers alike are all excited to attend, and start a summer vacation!**

**But for Thomas, this beach trip will be anything but peaceful.**

**What starts out as an average trip of good times memories turns to mysteries, potential danger, and suspicion. But at least he gets to do something he never really got too many chances to do before: Have fun with friends!**

**But why is his dad staying at the same hotel as the IS Academy? Why is Chifuyu making a call to an anonymous receiver? Why is Houki acting so distant? And most importantly, why does everyone try keeping secrets from Thomas?**

**It's seriously annoying when people pretend nothing is happening, but it's very obvious they're lying!**

**The trip will not only test Thomas for what he's made of, but leave him wishing he never got out of bed in the morning.**

* * *

Thomas stared out the window as he sat in the bus.

While everyone else made plans, ideas for activities-some of which included stalking him and Ichika, for some reason.-Thomas was mentally preparing himself, making himself as chaste as he could.

Things would go south so fast if he didn't mentally prepare for the beach.

The thought of very attractive girls in all sorts of swimsuits suddenly crept into his mind.

He was going to get beat up so hard.

Miss Yamada and Chifuyu stared at him while he wasn't paying attention.

"He's seems so lonely," Observed Yamada, "You should give him company. You _were_ childhood friends, after all."

"As if." Said Chifuyu, "The only reason he's not talking is because he wants to be alone."

"Hm?"

"Although Thomas had a habit of acting a little clingy to friends, to the point of putting himself in situations he really didn't operate well in. But there were times he just wanted to be left alone."

"I see."

"Besides. I still have to come up with a proper punishment for totaling an IS Unit."

"Wouldn't something normal be enough?"

"For Thomas, not really. It'd be little more than a minor inconvenience. He's also at the age where he can get extremely annoyed, which can get worse than it sounds. Besides, every time he got punished for something as a kid, he's been able to twist them back and give people a hard time. Besides, he's recently gotten better at annoying people with snarky contradictions, all because he claims people are, 'Too predictable,' when it comes to discipline. If I just hit him, or make him do something like PT, it really won't matter."

"Oh."

"I'll have to be creative to properly discipline him."

"It's so strange. He acts like most sociable boys his age, despite being raised without a mother. Without knowing him, a normal person wouldn't be able to tell."

"Yeah..." Chifuyu trailed off. She then glanced at her phone before writing a quick text to Alex Scott. She then made another text to an unknown number.

"Then again," Observed Chifuyu, "You can argue to best came from the worst."

Ichika finally took notice of his friend's distance.

"Hey, Thomas!"

"Hm?"

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. It's nothing." Thomas muttered, turning back to the window with a sudden interest.

"What's going on?"

"That car..." Thomas said, pointing out the window at a certain black car. The car was positioned moderately behind the bus, in the next lane over.

"What about it?"

"It's been on the same road with us almost the whole time. I noticed it turn onto the road with us. But it's been maintaining that speed, lane, and distance from us ever since we started on the mainland."

"Weird..."

"And the strangest thing isn't even that."

"What is it?"

"To me, the strangest thing is..." Thomas lowered his voice to a faint whisper.

Ichika opened up his ears, leaning in, as though Thomas was about the reveal a secret of the universe itself.

"The strangest thing is that you haven't picked up on the fact that I've been punking you this whole time."

"Huh!?" Yelped Ichika in surprise.

"Ha! Got eem!" Declared Thomas, his voice filled with triumph, as though he'd just won the Olympics.

"You serious!?"

"I've been messing with this whole time!" Thomas then pointed back to the car, "See? It's shifting into another lane."

"Oh. That was a dirty trick! I'll get you back when we're at the beach!"

"I'll be waiting!"

"Oh yeah? I bet you can't last longer than me in a sauna!"

"Bet I can!"

"You'll never see me coming!"

"Try me! I am the PRANK GOD!"

"Then I'll just get some assistance in pranking you!"

"You couldn't prank me to save your life!"

"I'm gonna prank you so hard, you won't even see your future pranks as real pranks!"

The other passengers, save the driver, Yamada, and Chifuyu, all began to spectate Ichika and Thomas challenging one another with great interest. Chifuyu hid her amusement with disinterest, and an exhausted sigh. Yamada simply blew up her cheeks like a puffer-fish in a desperate attempt to keep herself from laughing, but still gave off a muffled giggle.

Thomas thought to himself, _"That was close."_

In truth, Thomas hadn't pranked anyone. The supposed "joke" was quite true. The car really had been following them the entire trip so far, and had maintained a relatively uncomfortably close proximity to them.

If it was attackers, they had yet to actually provoke anything.

Thomas just didn't want to ruin the beach trip for anyone.

* * *

The bus stopped, and the students all flooded out.

Everyone was ready for a very fun day under the bright, warm sun.

Wow, that was a lot of girls in swimsuits...

_Be still, beast of the night."_ Thomas thought to himself.

The students had all quickly gotten changed into swim-wear. Thomas himself wore a pair of trunks, and a pair of jammers underneath.

He had to be extra-prepared for any unforeseen situations.

Ichika had just gotten out of the changing stall, and saw Thomas facing towards the shore.

_"Wait! Thomas isn't paying attention! I've totally got him off-guard!" _Ichika noted.

_"Ichika thinks he's totally got me off-guard."_ Thomas observed. Thomas could hear Ichika's movements, and see his classmate's shadow behind him.

This was almost too easy.

Ichika lunged for Thomas as quietly as he could, hoping to jump-scare his childhood friend good.

Suddenly, Thomas spun around, kicking up into a roll, and dodging Ichika's attempt at a prank. Ichika was so distracted by Thomas's lightning-speed reaction, that he didn't realize he was falling flat onto the sandy ground.

He grunted as he flopped.

"You honestly thought a jump-scare was gonna get me?" taunted Thomas, "Jump-scares are but mere basic for a true prankster!"

"Where'd you learn to move like that!?"

"Hm? Oh, I just watched a Spider-Man cartoon, and decided to try it myself."

"Seriously!?"

"Yeah."

All throughout his life, Thomas had the uncanny ability to imitate others' movements. More often than not, this has led him to not only mimic, but eventually flawlessly duplicate several actions with his body. Even is he wasn't able to perfect it, he was still able to perform flashy feats of fictional nature. Alex tried signing him up for things like karate, only to have Thomas eventually quit out of boredom.

He had much required gaming to attend to, anything else would cut into that.

Thomas began an aimless walk on the beach, zoning out while other students all began to play around. Ichika had gone off himself, conversing with classmates. Thomas, however, was currently lost in thought.

From afar, Thomas began to eye Ichika's IS gauntlet.

_"Strange,"_ Thought Thomas, _"I think I saw that gizmo somewhere before."_

Thomas recalled right then what he was thinking of.

* * *

It was back in America, it was when Thomas was still around the age of 6 to 8. He'd become quite curious about his mother, and began to conduct a little investigation of his own. He'd sneak around, search every inch, and not tell anyone.

So far, Thomas had searched almost all of the house, and found nothing. The only place he hadn't searched was his dad's room.

One of Thomas's peculiar traits was that he was somehow very good at leading people on. If he didn't tell anyone he was doing anything, if he was never seen doing something, nobody ever suspected him of doing anything.

Young Thomas had burning questions about his heritage. The most he knew about his mysterious mother was that she was a famous IS Pilot. However, every time he asked a question about his mother's personal identity, his father simply refused to give him a straight answer.

The only answer that held any meaning was, _"When you're older. I'll tell you when you're old enough to understand."_

What kind of crap did he mean? "Old enough to understand?" Understand what!?

Thomas didn't even know his mother's name.

His dad went to work one day during the summer. Nana had things to do, and was unable to come over that day.

This was as good a chance as any.

Thomas raced from the couch and burst into his dad's room.

Time to get searching.

Thomas looked around the room. There was a bed built for one. A bookshelf, and a regular shelf, and a couple sets of drawers. The room came with a closet, which was designed a little too small, obviously built for one person. There was a TV that sat on top of drawers, a gaming console, a chair, a bedside table, and a small desk to tie the room together.

Thomas quickly searched everything, taking care to leave everything _exactly_ as he found it. If even one object was out of the most precise alignment, he risked his investigation being discovered. He rummaged through the desk, bedside table, the TV stand drawers, under the bed, under the desk, behind the TV, under everything else and over everything else.

Thomas had been a childhood fan of _Batman_, and eventually picked up basic detective skills. Whenever he was in a game of hide and seek, he was able to quickly discover the hiders when he was the seeker. If there was anything to find, Thomas would find it.

All he could find were dad's things.

He found no evidence that there was ever a woman in his father's life. Nothing that would belong to a woman could be found anywhere.

He couldn't even find a photo.

Normally, the love-child of a sports celebrity who never got to meet their parents could simply look up the name, and find them. Thomas, however, didn't know his mother's name, let alone could confirm what she actually looked like.

Thomas stopped searching, disappointed, but not ready to give up.

He still had one place left to look.

The closet.

Who knows? He might even find a skeleton prop lying inside...

Thomas opened the closet door.

He found a metric ton of his dad's clothes, shoes, and a large safe, buried in the furthest back of the closet. The safe was buried by clothes, strung up on hangers.

Jackpot!

This was the only place he had yet to search. If there was any shred of evidence that could help Thomas wrap up one end of this mystery, it was here.

If only he knew the combination!

How could he figure it out? It was a dial lock, he couldn't pick the lock. He determined the lock to be a three-number combination. But how to get past it...

Suddenly, Thomas got an idea.

The boy raced to the kitchen, and grabbed a pair of scissors and a plastic cup. He then cut out the bottom of the cup with one of the scissor blades. The hole was no bigger than his eardrum.

All that time spent watching _Burn Notice_ finally paid off.

Thomas raced back to the safe, and placed the top rim of the plastic cup against the safe. He placed his ear up against the cup as he began to slowly turn the dial. He twisted the dial until he could hear a faint click. He noted the number, and quickly grabbed a pencil and note card to write it down. He then restarted, quickly returning to the magic number, after hearing the click, he then began to slowly turn the dial in the opposite direction than the original. He observed carefully until he finally heard another click. Quickly, Thomas scribbled down the second number in the combination.

Thomas quickly abandoned his process, and raced around the house. By his calculations, his dad would return from work soon. He'd wasted all that time with the rest of the room, and had significantly less time to unlock the safe.

He quick analysis not only proved fortunately fruitless, but very risky. He now had less time to open the safe, trying to check if his dad was near.

Thomas quickly returned to the closet, ready to unlock the safe and finally confirm if he could answer the questions that were on his mind for so long.

Thomas carefully turned the dial to the first number, and picked up the pace while still keeping gentle hands. Thomas heard the click of the second number, and paused. He breathed in, he breathed out. He needed to slow down.

Thomas slowly but surely turned the dial for the third time. His heart began to race, his breathing was becoming sharp and tense, and he became unhealthily anxious. He began to debate with himself on whether or not he should do the deed.

Thomas analyzed the situation.

He had no idea this safe even existed, let alone was present in this very household. His dad did not tell him about it. It was obvious to Thomas right then and there that this safe held something Alexander Scott didn't want his son to see.

If he went through with this, he risked being caught. Besides, the odds that his little gamble actually being successful were dangerously low. He'd most likely not find what he was looking for. In fact, if there really was a secret within the confines of the safe, it was probably for a very good reason it was locked in there to begin with.

However, if he backed out now, he'd still be able to come back later without the risk of being caught. He'd have more time, if he had the patience to wait until tomorrow. But this also posed the risk of tipping his hand too early. His dad would have the time to discover Thomas had been trying to open the safe he obviously didn't tell Thomas about for a reason. If that happened, dad would have the chance to reset the combination, and all the trick he was using now would most likely not yield the same results twice.

Thomas finally reached a verdict; No time like the present.

It was quite obvious that he'd have no better chance than now to find the secrets within the hidden safe.

Thomas twisted the dial further and further, until he finally heard the third and final click.

Thankfully, it was a three-number combination all along.

Thomas threw open the door of the safe, and bore witness to what lied inside.

On the top rack, there was a gun, and a few mags full of bullets. There was a lot of money all neatly stacked. Thomas had expected to see it. There were lots of papers lying scattered on all the racks, papers of all kinds, including newspaper clips, files, even photography paper. However, he didn't expect an old shoe-box, clearly positioned to be obscured from normal view.

Thomas picked up the shoe-box, and slowly opened it up, the tension thicker than frozen butter.

Would he finally have the answers he sought?

Perhaps. Only one way to see.

Thomas pulled off the lid, and gazed upon a very weird object. This left him confused.

The object looked like a crossbreed between an armored gauntlet, and a bulky wristwatch, which covered the entire wrist, judging from the size. It was pure white, and looked far more advanced than an average watch. He grabbed it with a free hand. It felt cold, and was made of metal. Thomas observed the object for a few seconds.

Suddenly, the young boy was hit with a strange sensation that rippled through his body.

It felt like every cell of his body was being tickled heavily all at once. Oddly, his mind suddenly felt bigger, more vast in space. It felt as though the entire Internet was running through his brain in a single second.

Thomas could then hear the sound of the front door being opened. The sudden disturbance snapped Thomas right out of his trance.

"Hey, Tommy!" His dad called, "I'm home!"

Thomas's face flushed white with terror. He quickly put the device back in the box, and shoved it back into the safe, and closed the door as quietly as possible. He then zipped out of the closet, closing the door, and finally burst out of the room before his dad could catch him.

There was bound to be more than some strange gizmo lying in that safe. Perhaps, if Thomas was quicker and opened the safe sooner, he could've had time to examine the rest of the safe's contents.

But it was the last time Thomas would open the safe for a long, long time.

He still had yet to open the safe a second time.

* * *

So, why was he thinking of that moment now?

He'd only ever seen the object once, but the memory was simply so vivid. Try as he might, he could never forget every detail of the device. The grooves, the shape, the color, he'd even remembered the style, exact in every detail.

Why did Ichika's IS gauntlet remind him of some random toy he saw years ago?

Perhaps the object he saw wasn't actually a toy?

That's when Thomas began to realize something he'd never before considered.

Was his life truly as it seemed? Thinking back upon that random day, at that random moment, it didn't really seem random. He found no traces of his mother's existence, no belongings, ID, name, or even a picture.

Thinking back, it seemed as though his father was actually trying to whitewash any traces of Thomas's mother.

Thomas then began to recount anything else he might've written off along with the memory.

_"Come to think of it,"_ Noted Thomas, _"Chifuyu was secretive as well."_

Thomas was one of Ichika's childhood friends. He also became good friends with Chifuyu, and found something of a big sister in her. For some reason, she took quite a shine upon Thomas when he was little. But there were times when Chifuyu seemed to act strange.

Whenever Thomas was at some sort of event, he'd sometimes find strange things lying around. Sometimes it would be a hidden camera, other times it would be a person in the distance, and other things seemingly out of place. It was strange, but Thomas eventually reasoned they were just random. After all, it takes all kinds to run a world.

Chifuyu also had a habit of taking lots of pictures of Thomas. Sometimes, she'd shoot photos out of the blue, other times she would give a heads-up she was taking a picture. However, Thomas took notice of the sheer number of photos Chifuyu would take of him specifically.

Thomas had also taken notice that the number of photos she'd take of any other things combined didn't equate to the number of photos she took of him.

It seemed strange at the time, but Thomas chose to ignore it. When he thought about it, it seemed as though Chifuyu was trying to make a whole documentary on Thomas's life.

Thomas then began to think on his whole childhood. Instead of searching for what was supposed there, he began to search for what wasn't. He delved a little, and began to notice strange occurrences that didn't even seem normal then or now.

Thomas then reminded himself, he didn't want to ruin the beach trip.

Time to go mingle.

Thomas strolled up, putting on his best "Game face." He smiled, waved, and brought his incredible vocal talents. To others, he seemed to shine like the sun, with comical arrogance and goofy nature to spare.

Thomas was just facsimileing to not only conceal his true thoughts, but to help maintain his image as well as keep others happy.

There was much more at play, and he wanted to know what kind of game he was playing, and who else was playing it.

Thomas walked through the more popular areas of the beach, playing up as much sociability as he could. That way, he could draw a different kind of attention to himself, the unsuspecting kind. He then saw Ichika applying sun tan-lotion to Cecelia's back.

This had just turned into a very interesting situation.

Ichika was clearly unnerved, seeing as he was making physical contact with a girl.

"Well well, Ichika." Taunted Thomas, "Finally getting the chance to feel up, huh?"

"S-Shut up!" Returned Ichika, flustered from the situation. Although Thomas's jest was in good fun, it still managed to disgust a few people. Thomas, however, chuckled at his own joke, confident in his comedy.

Cecelia suddenly twisted into a sitting position, clearly flustered by Thomas. She then realized her chest was on display, and screamed as she promptly deployed Blue Tears's right arm to smash Ichika right in the head as she wrapped her arm over herself.

She would've smashed Thomas as well, but Thomas narrowly jumped back.

"It's just a joke! I didn't mean anything by it!"

"Hmph! You should know better than to say such things! It's proper for a boy to hold his tongue over something so lewd!"

"Gotcha! You're the boss! Never doing that again!"

Thomas then jogged away to avoid Cecelia's mechanized fist.

After several minutes of walking through some of the woods, he suddenly chanced to see Houki.

"Houki? What're you doing here?"

"Hm!? Oh, it's nothing."

"Uh-huh." Deadpanned Thomas, unconvinced, "You're an awful long way from everyone else."

"I guess."

Thomas instantly could tell something was distracting Houki. She was usually able to respond quickly, and confidently. She was acting quite different from normal, that much was obvious.

But what could possibly make Houki, the woman who's mind was as sharp as her sword?

Thomas weighed the situation in his mind, and took in the possibilities. Her birthday was coming up, it could probably involve her sister, or maybe her Kendo sword broke recently.

The last one had indeed happened before.

"Well, when your ready to rejoin humanity, I think we might be playing volleyball soon."

"Uh-huh."

Thomas would've pursued the topic, but found it best to wait for a better opportunity. If he pressured her, it wouldn't end well for him. He turned to leave.

"Akatsubaki..." Houki whispered.

"Hm?"

"Oh?! It's...It's nothing."

Thomas paused with an unconvinced look on his face, "Alright then."

Thomas not only had a knack for detective skills, but interrogation skills as well. His most effective and used tactic was to simply stare, without speaking, without blinking, without even breaking eye contact.

He got more confessions than a lie detector.

He'd figure things out later. Right now, Thomas decided to check up on the other classmates.

When he returned, he found Cecelia and Shizune dragging Lingyin as she was kicking and screaming back to the hotel.

Thomas walked next to Ichika.

"Mind telling me what happened?"

"Maybe later."

"Fine."

Thomas suddenly blinked, a twinge in the back off his head suddenly turned into a killer headache. He groaned as he place his hand on his head and faced down. His body stumbled, as he momentarily lost balance.

"Woah! Are you okay?! You're debilitated! Too much sun?"

"S'fine." Said Thomas, "Forgot to take my medication yesterday and today, that's all. Just withdrawal symptoms, nothing life-threatening."

"Really?"

"At least I'm not blubbering about like my old autistic self."

"You weren't _that_ bad as a kid."

"I know, jus' feels like I acted like a big jackass way back when. Anyway, headache's gone, see? All good now!"

Thomas then stretched to confirm his statement, and put Ichika at ease. It was then that Thomas remembered Ichika had either forgotten he was trying to prank Thomas, or still trying to prank Thomas.

Either way, Thomas wouldn't be surprised.

Thomas then got that feeling he was being watched. Normally, it'd be easy to say that Ichika was the reason why.

It didn't seem like the case this time, since Ichika had just jogged off to converse with other people.

Thomas suddenly saw something shift in the bushes in his furthest peripheral vision. Thomas began a set of stretches, as though he was limbering up for more activities. However, he was using the stretching as a means of subtly looking around.

Nothing else shifted. Someone was most likely in hiding, and waiting for him to leave. Thomas finished stretching, and looked around the beach. No-one was looking his way, good.

He could investigate.

Thomas carefully entered the trees, and kept his eyes and ears open. He walked calmly, taking good measure to watch the forested floor upon which he walked. He was probably being stupid for not telling anyone about the strange happenings, but felt a gut instinct to keep his observations hidden.

Was he having trust issues?

That's stupid! Why would he have trust issues? He had no reason to...to...doubt anyone.

That was the worst lie of all time.

His dad, and Chifuyu were obviously keeping secrets from him. Was that why he never told them what he was doing? Was it because they'd tell him to stop? Or the chance that they'd lie to him to keep him docile? Was he being paranoid? He had to be! Chifuyu was like a big sister to him! And his dad did his best to raise him right! So why did he feel nothing but doubt?

Was all of this because he never had a mother? That he was never even able to confidently recall anything about her? That he couldn't even find any evidence of her existence? The only two things he knew was that she was an IS Pilot, and that she was an old friend of Chifuyu's.

Those two details were the only evidence he had to go on for nearly 11 years of his life.

He would've requested to look at documents, like his birth records. But he felt that would jeopardize the secrecy of his search.

Thomas walked and walked through the forest. Though he could not confirm nor deny it, he felt that there was someone else here. However, he continued acting as though he did not know any better.

He then came across a clearing.

In the clearing was a very familiar black car. It didn't take a genius to figure out why.

Someone was following them, for whatever reason, he did not know. Thomas focused his eyes, trying to see the inside of the car, as to help deduce what kind of stalker he was dealing with. The glare of the sun, however, obscured the hidden contents of the interior. Thomas lifted his hands, and masked the sunlight, casting a shadow over the car windows. Thus, he was able to glimpse inside.

The interior had an installed computer setup, like a police patrol car. Perhaps the car was an old patrol car. He checked license plates, which the car did not have. He looked at the tires, which were custom-marked, and potentially bulletproofed.

There was some sort of duffel bag-potentially a body bag-in the backseat. The door was locked with a remote key, and could not be lock-picked. Thomas then noticed a strange object in the passenger seat.

It was a book. Although one would guess it could've any book, Thomas tried to narrow it down. Judging by the spine, it was some sort of journalistic book. The cover material was a leather-like substance, with silver plating one the corners. Thomas reasoned his options. It could be a journal, schedule book, a dairy, or even a photo album.

Thomas really wanted to open the car and find some answers. However, no-one leaves this sort of car without doing something to it. He had to assume the driver was a couldn't just break into the car. There were most likely booby traps of some kind. Such as an alarm, a trigger bomb, or other things.

Besides, it could be locked.

Whoever was driving this, terrorist or agent, did not want him opening this car. He had to think smart if he wanted to find things out. Perhaps the owner was watching him as he looked over the car, watching and waiting. Thomas then turned to leave, making one last look at the car as he walked.

Thomas got one last good look at the car, knowing that was most likely the last time he'd ever see it.

He faced forward, on guard in case someone was waiting for him to walk blindly into a trap. Thankfully, he was wrong. No-one was there, nor any traps. Thomas calmly walked back the way he came, both curious and learned.

When he was out of earshot of the clearing, the bushes opposite to his direction shuffled. A costumed woman stepped out of the shadows. She faced Thomas's general direction, as though she was attempting to catch a fleeting glimpse of the young boy.

Her outfit consisted of a padded black and white spandex suit, covered in tactical gear and compact armor plating. Her entire face was obscured by a carbon-fiber tactical mask, her hair, snow-white in color, was tied into a basic bun.

She inhaled, and exhaled with a barely-audible sigh.

She then turned back, disinterested in pursuing, and pulled out her phone.

* * *

Thomas slipped back in as though nothing had happened.

"Thomas! Where have you been?"

"Places."

"Where?"

"Taking a stroll through the woods."

"We've been looking for you, y'know!"

"Sorry, I just wanted some alone time."

"To do what? Oh wait! I get it! You _are_ a boy, after all! You must be at that age where you need to release, huh?"

"Release what?"

The question shot the female listeners right through the heart. He was too pure! His innocence had to be protected! He knew nothing of how guys release pent-up stress! They were so blessed to be in the presence of such a saint!

"By the way," Said Thomas, "Anyone drown yet? I hope not."

"Yeah! Rin nearly drowned from getting a cramp! But she was so lucky Ichika dashed right in to save her! I'm so jealous!"

"I see."

"Hey, Thomas!" Called Ichika. Suddenly, a volleyball streaked into Thomas's vision. Reacting with lightning speed, Thomas evaded and caught the ball flying for his head. His movements made him look like an anime hero.

"Who doth dares this trickery?" He demanded, shooting a competitive glare at Ichika.

"Volleyball match, you and me on opposite teams!" Proposed Ichika.

"I see. I will oblige your request! But know that it is _you_ who shall taste defeat, Ignorant Ichika!"

"Bold words, Twit Thomas! But they are empty, right down to the syllable!"

Thomas fired the volleyball back at Ichika, who caught it without even flinching. The girls who spectated the challenging boys could fell the immense, rippling tension emanating from them.

Ichika, currently holding the ball, had a smug, overconfident smile on his face. Thomas had a serious scowl on his face. Their eyes locked. It was then that the girls could tell this wasn't a game...

...It was a war.

Thomas began a march towards Ichika.

"Oh?" Sneered Ichika, "You're approaching? Instead of pulling back and preparing for my serve, you're coming closer?"

"I can't play Rock-Paper-Scissors to get the first serve if I don't come closer." Returned Thomas.

"Then by all means," Encouraged Ichika, "Come closer!"

The two then began to walk towards each other. A tense aura came about them both, as they strutted up to meet their opponent halfway. It looked more epic than it should have been, but the girls weren't about to complain.

Suddenly, Ichika shot the ball right for Thomas, who countered just as abruptly with a simple backhand.

The ball bounced off to the side with enough speed to knock a person down. Thomas and Ichika then took fighting positions, and prepared to play Rock-Paper-Scissors. Suddenly, they started their contest with unrivaled intensity.

"Best two out of three!"

"We're tied!"

"Hah hah!"

"Dammit!"

Ichika had left their pointlessly intense battle victorious, Thomas had left defeated.

"Ha ha! A metaphor for our little game!"

"I'll make you eat those words!"

The girls quickly drew boundaries and set up a volleyball net. Each team was 4 players, with Thomas and Ichika the unwritten captains of both. Ichika's team consisted of Charlotte, Laura, and Kiyoka. Thomas's team was made up from Honne, Yuzu, and Sayuka. The boys stared into each other's eyes, one trying to mentally gain the upper hand by intimidating the other.

Ichika raised his arm, preparing a serve that would end the game the moment it started.

Thomas stepped back, in order to get a full view of his opponent's body. He wanted to see everything, actions, movements, and that eventual tell that would help him discover his foe's one weakness.

"Do your best, Orimura!"

"Kick his butt, Scott!"

Time seemed to slow for Thomas and Ichika as they locked eyes once more. Their fighting spirits were unbending, each with his own set of secret techniques on standby. It felt as though time suddenly stopped as it slowed.

At the same time, they both shed a single droplet of sweat.

The Volleyball Battle had begun.

"I'll end this here and now!" Shouted Ichika, "Take this! **FINAL SERVE!**"

Ichika was shouting as though he was an Anime Hero announcing his attack move. The ball was sent high into the air, at an angle.

Thomas could see everything, right down to the molecules floating in the air. Ichika was attempting to send the ball too far back for him to return. By serving at an increasing angle, he could easily catch Thomas off-guard, and safely score out of Thomas's reach.

The volleyball didn't have the chance to slip by.

Thomas quickly anticipated and countered accordingly. He jumped into the air, ready to return Ichika's favor in kind.

"Oh!? Alright then! **SPIKE MAUL!**"

It was then that everyone was spectating realized just what exactly they were watching.

Thomas spiked the ball off his fingers. That way, the ball wouldn't go straight over the net, but arch high over it, back to Ichika's side. Instead of smashing down with the bottom of his fist, like a hammer, he used the angle of his fist to punch up and out.

"I got it!" Said Charlotte. Charlotte dove for the boundary line, and narrowly sent the ball back to Ichika.

"Nice save, Charl!" He cheered as Ichika made a spike of his own. This time, Thomas purposely let the ball slip past, in order to let his teammates actually play the game as well.

The ball flew past Thomas, and straight to Honne. Honne, who had no idea what she was doing, quickly began to panic until she stuck out her arm while cowering in fear. The ball bounced right off her over-sized sleeve and flew to Yuzu. And Yuzu sent the ball sailing over the net and straight to Laura.

Laura was still distracted by Ichika's praise, and ended up getting smashed in the face by the volleyball. She fell back without any struggle.

"He...Said...I'm...Cute..." She muttered, and passed out peacefully. This left Thomas conflicted on whether he should get Laura some medical attention, or bust his guts with laughter and keel over. Either way, Thomas still felt like laughing.

"Hey hey hey!" Called a familiar male voice, "Who brought out the volleyball?"

Thomas and Ichika turned their attention to Maya Yamada, Chifuyu Orimura, and Alexander Scott.

"DAD!?"

"Hey Son!" Declared Alex cheerfully.

"W-What're you doing here?!"

"Chifuyu gave me a text to come along!"

"Seriously?"

"Yup!"

Thomas was dumbfounded. Why was his dad here? His dad wasn't a faculty member! Was he secretly working for the IS Academy or something? Wouldn't it be weird for his dad, who was officially employed, to be hanging out with the IS Academy?

"So, Thomas." Said Alex, "Father-Son team-up?"

"Hey, Ichika," Said Chifuyu, "Sibling duo?"

Thomas and Ichika were going to have the best volleyball game ever.

"Join me, father!" Thomas belted out, "And together, we will crush the Orimuras!"

"Good thing you're in on this, son!" Confessed Alex, "I don't wanna lose another bet to Chifuyu!"

"Alright then, little brother." Said Chifuyu, "When we're done with them, they're gonna wish they were never born!"

The two adults then took their respected places as the game switched from 4v4 to 2v2. The girls quickly understood what was happening, and didn't want to get caught in the crossfire.

They found it safer to spectate, rather than get destroyed by the volleyball.

The spectators were all in awe, as the battle between families ensued.

Chifuyu served, firing the volleyball like a cannon. Alex jumped up and bumped the ball to Thomas, who raced up and spiked the ball over the net. Ichika managed to save the ball, and return it back over.

It was nearly impossible for one team to gain a point.

It took them almost all daylight.

Eventually, Alex and Chifuyu wound up wearing themselves out, being even more competitive than the students. Alex wound up toppling over, out of breath. Chifuyu fell to her knees, panting with an audible wheeze in her voice. However, Thomas and Ichika still found the strength to press onward.

After what seemed like hours of an enticing fight, the scores were still 0 to 0.

During a time-out, everyone had taken a unanimous vote that whoever made a single point would be declared the winner.

Ichika and Thomas were both tired out, but not ready to give up.

The ball was handed off to Ichika to serve, and begin the final round.

"It's over, Thomas!" Said Ichika, "I have the serve!"

Thomas, with a determined look on his face, said, "You underestimate my power!"

"**POWER SERVE!**"

Ichika fired the volleyball, not aiming to move past Thomas, but rather to knock him down. If he could get Thomas down, the point would be his!

Time slowed to a standstill as Thomas calculated.

The ball was traveling right for his face. Any normal person would do everything to protect their face. There wasn't enough time to evade, or even counter. At best case scenario, he'd come out with a head injury. He needed to hit the ball back head-on.

After all, Thomas was far from being any normal person.

Thomas, instead of bringing up his arms, pushed his head forward.

The crowd was in awe of his stunt. For none of them saw it coming. Alex smirked, Chifuyu's eyes bulged.

The ball struck Thomas straight on the top of his forehead. The impact sent the volleyball flying back over the net. Thomas wound up falling backwards, shocked and dazed. He quickly recovered, and regained balance before he fell.

Ichika was stunned, and nearly let the ball slip past him.

Thomas's vision was a little fuzzy, still reeling from the devastating blow from before.

"That does it! I'm going to finish this with my ultimate volleyball technique!" Shouted Ichika.

Thomas braced himself.

"**Ultimate move! METEOR MISSILE!**"

Ichika spiked the ball harder than ever before. If it were a volleyball anime, the ball would've been set ablaze by such power and speed. The audience all watched in suspense, waiting for the end to come.

Thomas, however, was unfazed.

"That's your best?" He sneered. The young boy then pointed his arms to the right, "Try mine!"

The ball came within range, and Thomas countered.

"**Ultimate counter!**" He belted out with immense pride, "**COUNTER DAB!**"

Suddenly, Thomas swung his arms to the left, facing a lower angle. Thomas's fingertips struck the ball's bottom, and the projectile higher than ever before. As Thomas moved his arms even further left, it seemed as though the ball would reach the sky!

As the ball began to slow its descent, Thomas struck a dab.

Finally, the ball hit the arch, and came back down to Earth.

Ichika kept his eyes on the ball, ready to counter. However, he was unable to receive the ball with his hands, but rather was struck in the head. Being struck at such an angle caused the boy to fall on his back, dazed and confused.

Gravity had pulled the ball and made it hit harder. Unlike Ichika, Thomas was much better at keeping balance, and was able to stay on his feet during recovery. He was also hitting the ball head-on, and at an angle where the risk of falling was much less and issue. Ichika wasn't so lucky, being struck directly from above, and fell.

Thomas got the point, and won the game.

"Lemme guess." Taunted Thomas, "'How did you pull it off?'"

"How did you-!" Ichika groaned, quickly realizing the reference.

"No fair!" He followed up.

"I'm not gonna lie; I was only thinking of keeping the ball off the ground. It was pure chance that smashing the ball face-first was gonna win the game."

"That...Blows..." Ichika mumbled.

"Eat it!" Declared Thomas, acknowledging his victory.

* * *

The students all changed into robes, provided by the hotel, and prepared to eat dinner.

Thomas quickly noted the image of the students, and found several oddities.

1, Chifuyu was missing.

2, Houki was missing.

3, His dad was supervising.

Thomas still had not gotten over his dad supposedly being here on the off-chance Chifuyu had invited him. It was quite telling, and insightful to Thomas. If Chifuyu called in Alex, then could she have called in the Black Car driver?

Mysteries were abundant. The only reason Thomas wasn't diving headfirst into the was because he was receiving constant attention from all manner of girls. Some were lustful, others in awe, curiosity, and many more.

It wasn't bad, quite the opposite. Thomas just wanted to do some old-fashioned snooping.

"Excuse me." He lied, "I gotta use the bathroom!"

He then jumped to his feet, and raced out of the room.

Clean getaway.

Thomas's face changed from happy-go-lucky to inquisitive somber. He slowed down, and began to walk quietly through the halls when he knew he was out of sight from public eyes.

He opened his ears, and listened.

He heard hushed whispers. The kind that a person makes when they want to talk in private. Thomas followed the quiet sounds to their source, slowly. If he rushed, he'd be heard, and his cover would be blown to kingdom come.

Strange, the average person wouldn't be as aware as Thomas was. He had the strange knack of finding anything, by sound, sight, or smell. He usually played it off as him exaggerating himself, but there were times that simply weren't the case.

"You're here?"

Thomas instantly identified the speaker. It was Chifuyu, talking with someone. When there was no response from another person, Thomas figured she was on the phone.

"He's bound to find you."

Who's "He?"

"He already found _what_?! This is too risky!"

Theories began to form in Thomas's mind as he listened further. He held his breath calmly. If he tried to suppress breathing, he'd only have so much air time before he breathed, any generated noise.

"He's already had enough of that to last several lifetimes!"

Again, who's "He?" And enough of what?

"I'm sorry...I just...Feel like we're treading on thin ice right now."

What for? A poorly-executed task of some sort?

"I'm doing everything I can, you know that. It's just..."

Just what?

"Yeah. He is. A little too much if you ask me."

Who?

After a few seconds of silence, presumably since the caller was making a long speech to Chifuyu for whatever, She finally left the call with something most intriguing.

"I'll do what I can. But your proximity is bound to get you caught. He doesn't know what we're doing, and if you get caught, it's going to backfire. However, if we tell him now, I can bet that the outcome will be the same. Good luck, he's bound to see you one time or another."

Thomas began to string along all of his details.

Chifuyu and Mystery Person were doing a secret operation. They were also being handled by this "He" character. They were currently doing something "He" didn't like, and are trying to keep it secret from him. Currently, the Mystery Person was also in the area, most likely, the person had followed the IS Academy to the beach.

At least, he now knew the car belonged to someone who had greater potential of ally than foe.

Thomas backed away, doing his best to make sure Chifuyu wasn't about to see him, and there was no-one tailing him.

Thomas returned to the dining hall, and quickly finished dinner.

He then changed into casual apparel, consisting of a camo jacket, long-sleeve shirt, and gray shorts. He left the hotel to take a stroll under the night sky. He needed time alone to think.

He walked, and walked. His trip had taken all the way to a cliff nearby. He stood in the chilly, summer night. He eyed the horizon, brooding. His mind weighed heavily with the hidden events of the day. He was just happy he didn't ruin anyone's vacation. However...

...He was being watched.

"I don't know who you are," He started, "I don't know what you want. But, I know you're working with Chifuyu. I found your car, and got a look inside from the outside. I want to talk to you, so..."

He turned around. He blinked. The nanoseconds before he blinked, he could've sworn he saw someone lurking in the shadows. He saw no signs of a living thing after he blinked. Perhaps he was paranoid, or crazy.

"...Never mind."

He felt so blessed there was no-one else around. That would've been very awkward.

* * *

She zipped through the dark forest, hyperventilating.

That was _too_ close.

When she figured she was a safe distance away, she propped herself up against a tree as she caught her breath. For such a young boy, he was already quite well-skilled in several ways.

Chifuyu was right, she was getting too close to endangering the mission, and other things.

She hated it. She hated not being able to come close. It was the worst thing for her to ever feel.

When it was all over, she could finally come back.

But now? She had a job to do.

It was for his safety, after all.

* * *

**A/N: Done! Wow, this chapter is actually a bit longer than the normal.**

**I just wanted to take this time to apologize, since I promised Thomas getting an IS in the previous chapter. There was so much I wanted to do with this chapter, I feel that it's best if Thomas gets his personal unit next chapter.**

**I got a question on what I decided Thomas would get as his personal unit. I'm going to apologize now if my decision is a little disappointing, but I decided to go with something that could be a little overused.**

**Thomas's Personal IS Unit is a Custom Rafale-Revive. The IS Unit has been modified, so it can keep up with Thomas in combat. However, it still retains the color scheme of the Basic Rafale-Revive. It's overwhelming arsenal is similar the Charlotte's Revive.**

**For those of you who are disappointed in my choices, don't despair! The Revive isn't the only IS Unit Thomas is going to receive...**

**In time, he will pilot one, maybe even more IS Units other than the Revive. Only time will tell.**

**The reason I chose the Rafale-Revive is because it's my favorite IS Unit. I'll explain why that is next time!**

**Edit: I got a message that I fudged up the names of the girls in the volleyball teams, I quickly fixed that, enjoy.**

**But who was that mysterious woman? Was she really working with Chifuyu? Why is Alex suddenly appearing out of nowhere? What was the strange device Thomas found in that safe as a kid?**

**There's shadowy forces at play, and Thomas is about to be put through a dangerous gauntlet to find answers.**

**Next Time: The Worst Summer Ever, Part 2.**

**Leave a review! They're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	6. Worst Summer Ever, Part 2

**Let's get right to it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**As mysteries unravel, Thomas finds he can trust no-one with his discoveries.**

**However, he'll soon find trust issues to be the least of his problems. Tabane Shinonono decides to pay an unexpected visit! She brings along something Thomas had always wanted: A Personal IS Unit! **

**Her timing couldn't be better, as an out-of-control IS known as the Silver Gospel pops up out of nowhere!**

**With danger from above looming overhead, can Thomas get his act together and stop the Silver Gospel before it can cause some real damage?**

* * *

_The Present..._

_"Thomas..."_

Who? The voice belonged to a woman, whom Thomas couldn't begin to identify.

_"Thomas, sweetie..."_

Who was saying that? She sounded so familiar...

_"It's time to get up."_

Thomas opened his eyes to pure white.

He couldn't feel solid ground under his feet, nor could he tell up from down. It was a white void, like that of what a dead person sees in their final moments.

Why was he so calm?

Any rational and normal person would freak out right about now.

Oh wait.

That's right.

Thomas wasn't normal at all.

Why did he feel different than he acted? On the outside, he was practically the ideal model human being, like an angel who took the form of a man. His heart could warm the iciest of chills, he glowed brighter than the sun, and he did good deeds and helped others as he went on his own merry way.

This was a contrast to his true colors.

Thomas had a secret jealousy of others. As long as Thomas thought of his family in his childhood, he couldn't help but feel he was being lied to. He had no siblings, nor did he have a mother. If he did, they either died or abandoned him without so much as a care in the world.

Then, of course, there was that unbearable noise.

Although Thomas had kept it hidden, his only known physical weakness was his sensitivity to noise. He never went to raves, since he'd already learned they would leave him temporarily hard of hearing. It felt like the weight of the world was bearing down on him, its omnipotent noise crushing him.

In this strange void, Thomas heard nothing.

It wasn't that he was now deaf, quite the opposite. He heard nothing, because there was nothing else.

Just him.

He hated being left all alone.

Suddenly, he could feel the pull of gravity once more. He was...flying upward?

No.

He was falling down.

His heart began to race. He could feel the violent air ripple as it pushed down on his head, and down to his toes. He could then feel other objects bumping into him from the sides.

It felt like...other people?

It was then Thomas felt a jolt, as though he hit the ground, and then felt nothing.

* * *

_The Past..._

Thomas woke up early. Again.

Even on a vacation, he'd always wake up before the sun had a chance to rise.

Once again, he woke up with a heavy heart. He was left with the jealousy of others being able to smile, and live blissfully without the burden he carried. He always envied others.

But he wouldn't let the depression get the best of him.

Thomas got out of bed, and put on his casual clothes. He had just finished changing into shorts as he suddenly shivered. Perhaps the night was a bit more chilly than desired, or that he was wearing nothing over his top. His face was still in a somber, almost dead expression. He decided to go for a morning walk.

After all, it usually helped him take time to push out the darker thoughts, and act in his usual demeanor.

_"Damn,"_ He thought, _"I need to get some help."_

Thomas walked through the hotel halls, shivering the chill out of his bones until he was room temperature. He then pulled out his phone, and began to gorge on memes until his heart felt as though it could lift the rest of his body into the sky.

He had prevented the "unstoppable evil" yet again.

That's when he remembered one of his exploits last night. He almost broke out in laughter, but forced himself to calm down.

Thomas then breathed briskly, and put an honest smile on his face. He closed the door behind him as he left his room, and began to explore the hotel, in search of his gaggle of friends.

He walked jovially through the hotel, greeting any other early-risers as he went.

To them, it seemed as though he was glowing with a light that could rival the sun. His smile was heartwarming, and could melt the coldest person's feelings if he willed it so. He had a spring in his step, and a purpose in his walk.

It seemed as though he was royalty.

All he needed to cure depression was a good laugh, and a warm blanket. It had served him well, ever since he started feeling those unwelcome sensations. He did it for the sake of his friends, who genuinely cared about him.

Besides, he couldn't find his mother if he was a miserable wreck.

He yawned. Instead of taking it as a sign of lacking sleep, he went to the vending and drinks machine instead.

It was then that Thomas realized he was very strange.

He somehow managed to confuse himself in the process.

Not that it mattered.

Thomas quickly purchased a whole breakfast made up of snacks and three bottles of soda.

"Breakfast of champions." He joked to himself.

During volleyball, it seemed as though Tomas had finally begun to enjoy his summer vacation. Although there were clearly some things happening that required his attention, he voted that he needed to have some decent fun on the school trip.

Thomas had then come across Houki in an open-air hallway, still dressed in her blue robes.

"Morning, Houki!"

"Oh. Morning."

"You're up early."

"I guess I am. What about you?"

"Me? No. I'm just waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"Ichika usually gets up around this hour, right?"

"Yeah?"

Thomas's grin got bigger and brighter.

"You'll find out why right...about..."

Ichika's trademark rooster-screech could be heard quite audibly all over the hotel.

**"THOMAAAAAS!"**

"...now."

"What did you do?" Houki questioned, knowing full well Thomas was involved.

"I sneaked into his room last night and drew on his face with a marker."

"You did what?!"

"Well, it's his fault for not following through on saying he was going prank me."

The two then heard very audible stomping drawing near.

Ichika burst into the hall, a look of inextinguishable, burning rage on his face. He also had a marker mustache, monocle, inky-black blush, and one of his teeth covered in marker, to make it seem as though he was missing a tooth.

Thomas couldn't help but bust out laughing, and fell on the floor. He was laughing himself to tears and suffocation, and shook uncontrollably.

"You're gonna pay!"

"You didn't make good on pranking me before, this is your punishment!"

"I'LL SHOW YOU PUNISHMENT!" Shouted Ichika as he lunged for Thomas.

Thomas narrowly evaded, trying to keep himself from laughing to death. He wiped the tears from his eyes as his laughing slowed a little. Ichika then pulled out a marker of his own, waiting for the opportunity to use it on Thomas.

It was then that they both took notice of Houki.

Currently, she was ignoring the two boys, and observing a sign posted on the ground in front of the walkway. The two ceased their battle and peered over Houki's shoulders to see what she was seeing.

Not only was there a sign, but a pair of eerily familiar robotic bunny ears. The sign itself read, "_Houki, please pull._"

The three of them knew all too well whom they belonged to.

"You think we should?" Asked Thomas, "Personally, I wanna see what happens."

"Do you think we shou-!"

"Sometimes," Concluded Houki, "It's just better not to know."

Houki then stood up, and walked away. This left Ichika and Thomas to decide on what action they should take.

"Should we?" Said Thomas.

"I dunno..." Said Ichika.

"I mean, it would kinda be a waste of surprise."

"True..."

"Hold on, wasn't Houki's birthday tomorrow?"

"You don't think..."

"I mean, it makes sense."

"Well, you and Houki were born a few days apart..."

"To be fair, I think she's prioritizing her little sister over me...family matters, yeh?"

"Maybe she wants to celebrate both..."

Cecelia walked up to them.

"Just what are you two doing over here?"

"Well..." Said Thomas, gesturing to the bunny ears.

"I really don't think this is a good idea, Thomas..." Said Ichika.

"Eh, c'mon!" Thomas said, "What's the worst that could happen? I get shot down over the friggin' ocean?"

Thomas haphazardly grabbed the bunny ears, and began to uproot them. With a little more effort than originally anticipated, Thomas pulled them out, and wound up falling on his rear. Ichika and Cecelia quickly went to his side.

They all then heard a gradually increasing whistle in the sky above.

"On no..." Groaned Ichika.

"Hm? What?" Asked Cecelia.

"I knew it!"

The trio looked up, only to see an orange object falling like a bomb right for them.

"Never mind," Said Thomas, "I think I just screwed myself."

They all screamed as orange came down upon them, kicking an explosive cloud of dust. Miraculously, the trio emerged unharmed. They looked towards the object, only to discover it was a giant, metal carrot.

"That's new. Don't remember this gag before..." Observed Thomas.

Suddenly, the carrot popped and hissed as it sprang in two.

Suddenly, a very hyperactive woman with mechanical bunny ears popped out with a wide smile on her face.

"You fell for Tommy-Kun! Yay yay!" She cheered energetically, with her hands making peace signs.

"Nice to see you. It's been a while, Tabane..." Said Ichika, still dazed from the fast paced crash landing.

"Ichi-Kun! Long time no see big guys!" Cheered Tabane, as she zoomed up to hug both Thomas and Ichika.

"So," She inquired, "Where did little Houki go?"

"Uh..."

"Don't worry! I'll find her soon enough with my brand-new Houki-Tracking-Device I invented! I'll see you later, Tommy-Kun and Ichi-Kun!"

Tabane then bursted off in search of Houki.

Ichika got to his feet, absolutely dumbfounded. Thomas simply stared, his sympathies were sent to Houki. Cecelia was simply trying to process the fast-paced event that had just transpired.

"Ichika darling?"

"Yeah?"

"Who was that strange person just now?"

"Tabane Shinonono. Houki's big sister."

Cecelia quickly turned her attention to Ichika, flabbergasted and dumbstruck by his answer.

However, the trio didn't have very long to take in Tabane's entrance.

They were called by Chifuyu, for whatever purpose they had to find out.

* * *

"Everyone with a Personal IS Unit has been assembled here." Stated Chifuyu.

Charlotte, Lingyin, Thomas, Houki, Ichika, Cecelia, and Laura were standing in a shoulder-to-shoulder row...

...In the middle of nowhere.

"Um..." Lingyin took notice, "Ma'am? Houki and Thomas don't have their own units yet."

"Actually..." Started Houki, her voice quickly trailing off.

"It's fine. I'll explain everything now. Scott and Shinonono are here be-!"

"WEEEEE!"

A sudden new arrival making a charge right for them.

The newcomer being none other than Tabane.

Tabane was sliding down the side of a cliff, and suddenly launched into the air like a rocket, and she was aiming right for Chifuyu.

"CHIIII-CHAAAAAN!"

In what seemed like mere milliseconds, Chifuyu had managed to grab Tabane by the head, and bring the woman right to the ground. However, Tabane was relentless, and tried to push through Chifuyu's iron grip.

"Hello-hello-hello! I missed you sooo much, Chi-Chan! Gimme a hug and a kissy-wissy and confirm our love-!"

"Would'ja shaddup, Tabane?" Chifuyu asked impatiently.

It was then that Chifuyu further pressed her vice-like grip, and made Tabane feel it. Suddenly, Tabane burst out of Chifuyu's single-handed grip and turned her attention elsewhere.

That elsewhere being Houki, who was cowering behind a rock in the hopes of being hidden from her embarrassing older sister's antics.

"Well well, if it isn't my widdle sister?"

"Yeah...It is."

"How long has it been? You've grown so much! Especially your boo-!"

Houki promptly delivered a wooden switch to Tabane, and sent her flying before she could finish the sentence.

"I will hit you _so_ hard if you finish that!" Houki snapped, thoroughly humiliated.

"Yet you say that _after_ you hit me!" Whined Tabane, "You're so cruel! She's a real dominatrix, isn't she, Ichi-Kun?"

Ichika was at a loss for words, thankfully Chifuyu was able to pull the topic back on track. She then made Tabane quickly introduce herself. Everyone, save Ichika, Chifuyu, Thomas, and Houki, was in shock that they got to meet Tabane Shinonono.

"Now everyone look up to the sky!" Declared Tabane and she pointed heavenward.

Everyone looked up, to see a twinkling object in the sky. It was getting bigger, and more sparkly as seconds passed by.

It was then that everyone realized the object was falling right for them.

Everyone, save Thomas and Tabane scattered for cover. Thomas was knocked onto his rear by the object's impact with the ground before him. Tabane and Chifuyu, however, remained unfazed through the entire moment.

It was a large diamond-shaped thing.

Tabane gave a big smile as she unveiled the contents.

"Introducing; Houki's personal IS Unit: The Akatsubaki!" She cheered, as the container vaporized, revealing a very peculiar IS Unit in Inactive Mode.

"It's specs are way higher than the current models, and it's handmade by your truly! It's a 4th Generation-type IS Unit I made exclusively for Houki!"

"_4th_ Generation?!" Awed Laura.

"Wait! Other countries have only just made the prototypes of the _3rd_ Generation!" Cried Cecelia.

"She's already...?" Charlotte was flabbergasted.

"Don't worry!" Consoled Tabane, "That's only because I'm Tabane the Genius! Okay then, Houki Pouki! Let's get you fitted and personalized with your brand-new IS!"

The genius clicked a remote, and opened up the IS Unit for Houki to climb inside.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Interrupted Chifuyu.

"Hm? Oh right! I just got so excited about giving Houki Pouki her present I nearly forgot Tommy-Kun's!"

"My what?"

"It's why you're here, numbnuts." Scolded Chifuyu, "You're getting a Personal Unit as well, seeing as you broke the only training model you ever used."

"But that was my seco-!"

"Spare me the details."

"Yes ma'am..."

Sure enough another giant diamond fell from the sky. Unlike the Akatsubaki, a generic-looking Refale Revive was the IS Unit sitting inside. The only difference was the headgear, which resembled 2 large antennae.

"That's just a generic Revive!" Blurted out Ichika.

"It just looks generic!" Corrected Tabane, "This bad-boy comes loaded head-to-toe with gear! The big guns! The works! All of it!"

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but..." Inquired Thomas, "What can it do?"

"Trust me," Tabane said, with a suggestive smug look on her face, "You'll figure out soon enough."

Both Houki and Thomas sat in the cockpits of their Units as Tabane simply entered all their data in a matter of seconds.

"Okay!" She declared, "The fitting's all done now! Well? Go ahead, go nuts!"

"What she means to say," Translated Chifuyu, "Is go ahead and test out your new Units."

Houki started with basic flight maneuvers, and Thomas simply performed a series of boxing moves. He was in awe, the lag from the Training Model was nonexistent, he could feel the IS was matching him speed-wise.

"Huh," He observed, "Can't tell if Revive's faster, or it's just synced."

He decided to bring things up a level. He quickly performed several acrobatic attacks, leaping around like _Spider-Man_.

"Funny," He said, "Never could do that before."

Houki shot off into the sky.

"That...was fast." Said Thomas.

"This is the speed of a 4th Generation Model?" Pondered Charlotte.

Houki pulled out her weapons, the Amatsuki and the Karaware, and pretended to attack the air as though it were her foe.

Her right blade sent out a pulse that burst right through a cloud.

"Very nicely done!" Cheered Tabane, "And now you can try dealing with these next!"

Suddenly, a missile rack materialized next to Tabane, and opened fire upon Houki with unnervingly excessive amounts of missiles.

"Dat's a lotta missiles!" Said Thomas.

"Good luck, Sis!"

Houki quickly went on the attack, and moved with speed and grace. She easily evaded the missiles, and made an energy slash to cut them down when she got tired of fleeing from them.

"Daaaaaamn!" Said Ichika and Thomas in unison.

And suddenly, Thomas saw it.

"It's perfect!" Marveled Houki, "This IS can do _anything!_"

There was a look in Houki's eye. A look as though she was riding a high of some kind. It didn't take a doctor to know what was going on in her brain.

The IS was going to her head.

"Okay Tommy-Kun!" Said Tabane, "Your turn!"

Without any more warning, the missile rack targeted Thomas.

He almost didn't react in time.

"OH FU-!" Thomas brought out shields.

Normally, he'd dodge. However, unlike most who'd just received their own personal war machine, Thomas had the mental fortitude to suppress the rush of feeling as though he was invincible. Thomas was not only a capable fighter, but he also learned in many games to take into account his surroundings. He chose block over dodge, since he was too close to the other pilots. If he dodged, the potshots would most certainly hit them.

He slowly moved away from the others, spreading out his shielded arms, making sure nothing slipped past him.

"Oh! Taking defense over evasion?"

"You know why!"

"Indeedy-doo I do! You're such a smart boy!"

When Thomas was a reasonable distance away, he took to the air, and take more evasive actions.

The missiles increased in frequency and intensity.

"Pfft! You look so weak right now!" Sneered Houki.

Thomas reminded himself to hit her later, when she didn't have a clear advantage of laser swords.

Wait! He had shoulder missiles!

Suddenly, Thomas shifted in a horizontal line, and the missiles chased without falter.

Thomas rolled, his head now pointed for the ground. Suddenly, the cladding on his shoulders hissed and rolled back to reveal two missile racks.

He fired his missiles in one big burst, effectively destroying all but 4 missiles.

Thomas quickly re-oriented himself.

Hold on! He had Charged Particle Cannons? Perfect.

Thomas rolled onto his back, and activated the cannons. The materialized on his hips, and rotated to lock onto the 4 missiles. He fired 4 times, with near-impeccable precision.

"I'm fuckin' surgical with these lasers." He said. As he shot down the last missile, he rolled back onto his front, and slowed to a stop.

"Don't get too cocky now!" Snickered Tabane, before deploying an excessive amount of combat drones.

"Oh." Said Thomas quietly.

Houki simply laughed and she rushed headlong into battle. Thomas deployed his Sniper Rifle, and took aim.

Suddenly, he shouted, "No-Scope!"

He then let go of the Sniper Rifle with one hand, and used it with the other. Whereas Houki met the drones head-on, Thomas kept at range, and fired from his hip. Somehow, he was able to fire without too much recoil, and shoot down several drones out of Houki's range, despite the supposed recoil of a Sniper Rifle.

Chifuyu took notice of Thomas's tactics.

"It looks like he prefers ranged over close-quarters. Considering what happened in his second fight, I don't blame him. However...This IS is capable of letting Thomas use his melee skills as well. You definitely built this specifically for him."

"Mhm!" Glorified Tabane, "His new IS comes with a better core, so he can do a lot more than he could with a Training Model! I may-or-may-not have added a few gimmicks to give him the edge~!"

"Those being?"

"Sh-sh-sh-ssshhhh! I want it to be a surprise!"

"MISS ORIMURA!" Cried Miss Yamada, as she ran up to them holding a phone.

She stopped in front of Chifuyu, and quickly gave her the phone.

"A Level A priority mission? The countermeasures are already activated-This test is suspended until further notice! Something's come up, and I'll need all of you for it."

"Ma'am?" Asked Miss Yamada, "Who's that strangely-dressed woman?" Pointing to Tabane.

"Oh, that's Tabane Shinonono."

Miss Yamada was left speechless.

* * *

"So," Asked Thomas, "What're we up against?"

"2 hours ago," Said Chifuyu, "The Silver Gospel, a joint IS Unit developed by America and Israel, went haywire. It's pilot went comatose and the IS went into a safety mode and broke out of its testing facility in Hawaii."

"And the pilot?"

"The pilot was Natasha Fairs, a Representative Cadet from the US. She went comatose, and they weren't able to extract her in time, the Gospel took over, and fought its way out. According to trajectory, it'll be passing through our airspace just about 2 kilometers from here. It will do so in about 50 minutes and counting. The Academy's Board of Directors just passed us orders making us responsible for the situation. As of right now, Instructors are using Training Models and locking down a perimeter. The rest will be handled by the students with Personal Units, I.e. You all."

"Wait-what?!"

"So, ve are zhe ones vho vill shtop zhe out-of-control IS..."

"US?!" Cried Ichika.

"Don't get so outta shape over m'man," Consoled Thomas, "It's just like fighting one of the girls, except it has a bigger drive to kill us if we get too close. Yeah, basically a typical fight with the girls."

"Hey!"

"What?"

"Before we begin the official mission brief," Redirected Chifuyu, "This is the only time you will have for questions you want answered."

Thomas opened his mouth, but quickly shut it.

The questions he would've asked weren't relevant to the situation, nor did he trust Chifuyu to actually give him an honest answer.

Cecelia raised her hand.

"Ma'am? I would like to have the full specs and data regarding the target IS."

"Good idea. However, if any of that information leaves this room, you will be arrested, tried in a court of inquiry, and placed under house arrest for a minimum of two years. Is that clear?"

"Understood, ma'am." Answered Cecelia, visibly shaken.

Quickly, the Sliver Gospel's data was displayed on a screen for the group to see.

"This IS is a special Artillery-Type designed for widespread target annihilation."

"'Course it is," Affirmed Thomas, "America had a hand in it. So it's bound to be blitzing."

"Looks like the Gospel is capable of _all_ ranges of attack."

"All the more reason to pull out the pilot, and send that thing to kingdom come."

"Taking this Unit's gonna be tricky." Observed Lingyin.

"This Unit's weaponry is quite suspicious, _n'est-ce pas_?" Noticed Charlotte, "The continuous defense will be quite difficult."

"Zis data leaves its hand-to-hand capabilities unknown." Added Laura, "Can ve do preliminary recon?"

"No," Said Chifuyu, "There's no time. If we do anything other than the objective, we greatly risk letting the Silver Gospel slip past us."

"But," Joined Miss Yamada, "That means if we only have one chance, then only a Unit with a single-shot kill will have any chance of hitting it."

Ichika was currently processing the information.

"Wait!" He realized, "You mean me?!"

"Yes." Groaned Thomas, losing faith that Ichika would actually be capable of doing something.

"But..." Started Cecelia.

"How will we get Ichika to intercept the Gospel? He needs to conserve power for the attack, so how will we get him there?"

"Zat's difficult," Pondered Laura, "His Unit ishn't fasht enough to get to zhe target. He vill also need to be quick enough to land an attack on zhe target."

"Wait a minute!" Cried Ichika, "_I'm_ the one who's going?!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Oh my god..." Thomas groaned as his head fell into his hand, embarrassed by Ichika's density.

"Scott, could you give Orimura a little pep-talk?"

"With pleasure." He growled.

Suddenly, Thomas went face-to-face with Ichika, and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders.

"Okay screwball, listen up!" Spoke Thomas, "There's abouta 99% chance you will die, You are incredibly dense, you are hardly capable of hitting the Gospel and saving the pilot smoothly, and-to top that-you aren't exactly proficient with your IS. You wanna back out? No-one's gonna force you. In fact, the only person in this room who's gonna judge you for it is yourself."

Ichika looked Thomas in eye with a determined look.

"I'll go, alright." He affirmed, "And I'll show you I can do this."

"Now that that's settled," Said Chifuyu, "As of now, the only IS Unit that can go fast enough is-!"

"HOLD IT! HOOOOLD IT!" Called a familiar voice.

Tabane busted out of the ceiling, spooking everyone save Chifuyu and Thomas.

"Just hold off on everything!" She cheered as she leapt down and rolled her way to the ground.

"Chi-Chan! Chi-Chan!" Piped up Tabane as she quickly came in contact with the woman, "Guess what? I have an even better plan that's in my head and now it's...printing! So, where's your printer?"

"Will you leave?!" Snarled Chifuyu.

"Just listen, 'kay? First off, it's the Akatsubaki's time to shine!"

"What?!"

Everyone in the room turned their attention to Tabane, as the self-proclaimed genius unveiled her secrets.

* * *

Quickly, the group went back to the clearing.

Houki deployed her IS, and mentally prepared herself for anything her older sister would throw at her.

"I don't understand," Said Miss Yamada, "Do the higher-ups even _know_ that Dr. Shinonono is here _right now_?"

"I'll notify them later." Answered Chifuyu, "Stopping that runaway IS is our top priority."

"Okay, Houki!" Commanded Tabane, "Try out the Unfolding Armor!"

Suddenly, the Akatsubaki began to hiss as it unfolded, much like paper, and expanded its armor coverage.

"Unfolding Armor is a standard for all 4th Generation Models. What that means, is that the Akatsubaki is the next step of the Yukihira Nigata!"

"The next step?" Houki said, as though she were timid. Thomas assumed she was still getting used to her IS Unit.

"That's right, Houki Pouki!" Cheered Tabane, "And I used Unfolding Armor all over the Akatsubaki's body! Yay yay!"

"So, what can mine do?" Inquired Thomas.

"Hm? Well, since you have special needs, I had to compensate for input speed and response time. However, because I know you'd be jealous otherwise, I gave you a few new tricks up your giant robot sleeves to put yourself on fighting terms!"

"And that means?"

"You know them when you see 'em!"

"People have a nasty habit of saying that to me a lot."

"But unlike your mommy, you'll get the chance to find out the mystery!"

This put almost everyone in complete silence, Thomas was simply confused on how he felt, and took time to process the statement.

"Y'know, this place really reminds me of the Shirokishi Incident, doesn't it Chi-Chan?"

Chifuyu made a barely audible gasp, but played it off.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

10 years ago, Just a single month after the first discovery of the IS, 2341 missiles launched from all nations made a sudden and unprovoked attack upon Japan, all at once. It was narrowed down to a hacker that broke into the weapons systems and made total, worldwide simultaneous launches. A single IS Unit appeared from nowhere, and cut and shot down every single missile single-handed.

The IS was eventually dubbed, "The White Knight." Due to its silver, almost pure white color. The pilot and the IS quickly vanished not very long after it had stopped the attack, and neither were ever seen again.

"So," Asked Tabane, "Who do you all think was inside the IS, hm?"

"No idea..."

"Was it Instructor Orimura?"

"Nope!" Said Tabane, "The answer might be a bit too out-of-the-box right now..."

"I think I have an idea." Piped up Thomas.

"Oh? C'mon, share! Share!" Pressured Tabane.

"I think it could've been my mom...But that just sounds dumb and lazy..."

"Bingo!"

"Huh?!"

"You're absolutely right!"

"I am?!"

"That answer is absolutely wrong!"

"Oh..."

"But, since none of you kiddies can see it yet, I'll give you a hint!"

"Who? Was it you?"

"Nope! Tommy-Kun was almost right though! Y'see, You're _close_ to the answer, and it's been with you _all your life_!" Tabane pointed to Thomas.

"It has?"

"Mhm! I think I just gave him the answer, but he might not get it now!"

Alright!" Snapped Chifuyu, "How long until you can adjust the Akatsubaki-?"

"Ma'am?" Asked Cecelia.

"Hm?"

"I'm sure that I can complete the objective with my Blue Tears. As you know, one of my high-maneuverability packages is on the way right now."

"Does that package operate of molecular exchange?"

"Well...No-!"

"Well, I can finish the Akatsubaki in 7 minutes no problem!"

"That's that then." Said Chifuyu, "The mission brief; Orimura, and Shinonono will engage the Gospel! She drives, he shoots, they get the pilot, and blow the Unit to hell. Let's get to it, people!"

"Wait just a minute!" Interrupted Tabane.

"What now?!" Chifuyu snarled, quite angry at the pestering scientist.

"I recommend Tommy-Kun should go with them!"

"Why?"

"Well, I made Tommy-Kun's IS capable of going supersonic speeds! That's riiight..."

"And?"

"Well, I was hoping to hold off on the surprise, but Tommy-Kun's IS comes with several settings!"

"Oh? How so?"

"Well, I know that Tommy-Kun loves giant robot fights, so I decided to make him an IS capable of doing nearly anything in combat! If Tommy-Kun gets the hang of it-and I know he will quite easily-He'll be able to blow up the Gospel without even trying!"

"Hm...Scott!"

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"You're on this. You'll be the immediate backup should things go wrong! If Tabane is be honest, then you should be able to hold the line, if the other two can't complete the objective."

"Understood."

"We launch in 30 minutes, ready or not!" Said Chifuyu, "Don't just stand there, get your asses moving!"

Houki took a breath, trying to calm down. She gave Ichika a grin, happy over the fact her life just got better.

"Wow..." Observed Tabane, "This has a really _nice_ feeling to it~!"

"Huh-?! Wait, no! You've got it all wrong!" Disclaimed Houki, making a very terrifying face.

"Aw, don't be so frowny, baby sister!" Taunted Tabane, "You'll get stuck with it!"

"I was born with this face." Growled Houki through her grit teeth.

"Oh, right, forgot about that. Anywho! Let's finish up those adjustments!"

The other pilots all began to talk amongst themselves, leaving Thomas to his lonesome. He shot a subtle look to Houki, studying her face as though there was a mystery and the clues were on her face.

"At last..." She whispered, "You're finally mine..."

It was a good idea to put Thomas on the mission, he could tell the IS was in her head and making her screwy.

There were many things on Thomas's mind, and the pile just kept getting bigger and bigger. He took a look, and found he had a lot more to deal with than what he originally thought.

Many questions would be answered soon, but that would just leave him wanting more.

* * *

**A/N: Yeesh! Giving Thomas his IS took a bit longer than expected!**

**Time to go into more detail the Thomas's IS Unit! His very own Refale Revive!**

**Thomas's Unit is not only designed to match him, but enhance him, despite the fact it appears as a generic green Revive. The IS is loaded with two Barrier Shields, two Assault Rifles, two Semi-Automatic Rifles, a Grenade Launcher, a Sniper Rifle, Missile Launchers, Shield Pierce, a Combat Knife, twin Hip-Mounted Charged Particle Cannons, and several unique abilities which makes it easily one of the most powerful IS Units!**

**The Revive also comes with more headgear than the standard Unit. The Unit has a tactical helmet to shield the pilots face from most attacks, and can shift from helmet to antennae similar to the Byakushki's Second Shift headgear, and much, much more. This also ties into one of the Revive's unique abilities.**

**I think I'll tell you the first ability.**

**The Refale Revive comes with a multiple-shift system. Unlike most IS Units, the Revive can shift its form to suit the situation at hand. This includes a Hyper-Velocity mode, a Heavy Combat mode, a Stealth Mode, and so much more.**

**Anyway, I think I'll take this time to talk about a future character!**

**Nana Andreas! I introduced her as Thomas's love interest, but she has yet to make an actual appearance. That changes! Nana is a US Representative Candidate, half-Latino, half-American. She has a slightly-above-average bust, black hair, green eyes, and an average build.**

**Her IS Unit? The War Buster (Name not final!), a heavy-duty Prototype 3rd Generation designed for heavy assault against multiple enemies. The designs follow Galaxy Convoy's Super Mode from Transformers Galaxy Force. The IS comes with twin Energy Blades, a Gatling gun, A heavy-duty handheld Beam Cannon, shoulder-mounted Concussive Pulse Cannons, Barrier Shields, two Missiles Racks, Twin ankle-mounted Bolt Blasters, two "Knuckleduster Claws," and the Headgear is designed to help the pilot's aim and tactical analysis.**

**She comes into the fold soon enough, so you won't have to wait forever!**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	7. Worst Summer Ever, Part 3

**It's that time again! I feel so relaxed now that I was able to give Thomas his IS Unit. For people who're disappointed in me for giving him a Refale-Revive instead of something more customized, don't fret! Thomas will eventually pilot other Units in the future.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**Almost less then 2 hours after receiving his very own IS, Thomas is put to the test as he, Houki, and Ichika face the Silver Gospel! With the comatose pilot, Natasha Fairs trapped inside, the trio have a very dangerous challenge ahead of them!**

**Can Thomas be the hero, and save the day? Or will he be shot down after spreading his wings and taking flight?**

* * *

_11:30 AM..._

Thomas sat on the shore, alone.

He'd been there for quite some time.

After all, it was part of his tradition before a fight to sit in silence, steel and calm his nerves, and regulate his breathing. He'd done so right before fighting Laura and Cecelia, he'd do it again.

He breathed in, he breathed out.

It was strange, Thomas didn't feel so unnerved like this when he faced Cecelia and Laura. And yet, he felt so rattled, he was under a greater deal of pressure, especially since any number of factors playing into the situation could go horribly wrong.

He was the backup, so he couldn't directly engage the Gospel right away. Ichika was most likely their only shot at quickly completing the mission. Houki...Was most likely going to do something stupid.

It was quite obvious the sheer power Tabane gave the Akatsubaki was getting in Houki's head.

Not that Thomas's head was crystal clear either.

In fact, the ever-growing piles of questions, observations, distrust, paranoia, and anxiety all decided to just sit in his brain, and bring their full weight on his neurons. It was heavy, to say the least.

He breathed in, he breathed out.

He purposely ignored the person trying to hide in the bushes at the edge of the beach, trying to stalk him.

The Mystery Woman watched, trying to get a glimpse of the boy before he left for the mission. She didn't want the child risking his life in an IS Unit, let alone be anywhere near one at all.

She and Chifuyu would have words after this.

It was certainly dangerous, even if Thomas had the incredible abilities he did, it was far too risky to leave anything up to chance.

Houki and Ichika came walking up the beach to meet Thomas.

"You ready?" Thomas asked.

"As I'll ever be." Answered Ichika.

"Let's roll." Said Houki.

**"Byakushki!"**

**"Akatsubaki!"**

Thomas rolled his head, and popped his neck.

**"Revive! Initialize!"**

Suddenly, in a flash of light, Thomas was now in his IS Unit.

"Never gonna get used to that." He muttered.

"Thomas?" Said Ichika.

"Yeh?"

"Why does your IS look different?"

"What're you-?!"

Thomas looked at his IS, and saw that it underwent a complete overhaul, and changed design from the generic Refale-Revive. The new Shift looked sleeker, most of its equipment had been removed, a third thruster had been added on the center of his back, sleek wings had been added onto the wrists, back, hips, and lower back, and the headgear changed from a headset to twin antennae.

"How did...?"

"_We can answer that,_" Said Chifuyu over the comm, "_Your IS Unit was built with a system that allows it to undergo multiple shifts on command. It would appear you already deployed the Hypervelocity Shift._"

Thomas paused.

"What else can it do?"

A screen popped up on Thomas's HUD. On it was a sort of library full of different Shifts.

"Says here there's a Stealth Shift, a Heavy Shift-what's the Compact Shift look like?"

"_Focus, Scott!_" Snapped Chifuyu.

"Yes, ma'am!" The trio hovered over the shallow water, making ripples with their jets.

"Remember you two," Reminded Thomas, "Once we get in range, this thing'll be out to actually _kill_ us. So-!"

"Quit reminding me." Groaned Houki, "I get it, seriously! You won't have to worry about me."

Thomas gave her a stare.

"Uh-huh." He deadpanned.

"Normally, I'd never let a man go before me," Said Houki, "But I guess I'll have to make an exception, _this time_."

"Y-Yeah..." Said Ichika, nervously.

"Buyer's remorse?" Teased Thomas.

"No! Shut up, that's not true!"

"I'm fine," Boasted Houki, "but _you_ two need to keep calm out there, that thing'll shred you to bits if you don't have _me_ backing you up."

"Wrong," Corrected Thomas, "That's my department."

"Pfft! We won't even _need_ backup! This'll be a cinch!" Sneered Houki.

"_Orimura, Shinonono, Scott._" Chifuyu called.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"_Remember, this entire mission depends on a one-shot kill. We can't risk Scott directly engaging right away, we haven't actually gotten close to touching the upper-limits of the Rafale-Revive, and it would be best not to use this mission as an excuse to test them. Besides, the overwhelming assault from Scott could destroy the Gospel, and kill the pilot for sure. So, Orimura, when you intercept, finish the job as quickly as you can without hurting the pilot._"

"Understood." Groaned Thomas.

"Miss Orimura?" Asked Houki, "Should I continue to provide tactical support for the other two when the situation calls for it?"

"_That's why Scott's still on the mission,_" Answered Chifuyu, "_Should something go wrong, Scott is to take immediate action. Until such a moment comes, however, he'll pull back to minimum safe distance. Both you and Scott have no live-combat experience in your Units. The Akatsubaki is still a prototype, and an unforeseen error could arise. Scott's at greater risk, seeing as his Unit was heavily modified, and admittedly, I think it a little too frightening to think what would happen if it went haywire._"

"Understood." Sighed Houki.

"Is it just me?" Whispered Lingyin, sitting in the makeshift command center, "or does she sound a little off?"

The other girls silently agreed.

Chifuyu paused.

"Miss Yamada," She piped up, "Open a channel to Scott and Orimura, but not to Shinonono."

"Understood."

Chifuyu breathed.

"Ichika, Thomas." She said.

"Hm!?" They both piped up.

"_This is a private channel to the both of you. I don't want Shinonono to overhear, so act like I'm not talking._"

"Hm." Said Thomas, subtly acknowledging.

"_It's quite obvious she's gotten a little carried away with herself,_" Stated Chifuyu, "_She's over-excited. At any rate, she's liable to make a dangerous mistake that could cost us the mission, or worse, one or all of you. Should anything happen, give her the support she needs._"

"Hmmm." They both mumbled.

Houki blinked at them in confusion, but shrugged it off and marveled over his own IS.

"Switching back to Open Channel." Declared Miss Yamada.

"Being the operation!" Commanded Chifuyu.

Ichika clasped onto Houki's shoulders.

"Ready?" Inquired Houki.

"Always." Said Ichika.

Houki revved the thrusters, and took off.

Ichika nearly slipped off from the sudden and incredible takeoff speed.

"Hey!" Called Thomas, "Wait up!"

He paused for a brief moment to make one last calming breath.

"Let's see if this rig is as advertised."

Suddenly, Thomas's IS burst off, breaking the sound barrier almost immediately. The takeoff was so jarring, Thomas's vision was blown out of proportion for a few seconds. He would've shouted, except his voice was lost in the sounds of the violent air in his face.

Within the span of 5 seconds, Thomas caught up with Houki, and got ahead of her.

Quickly, he eased on the throttle, and let Houki catch up, and matched her speed.

"_Sacre bleu!_" Cried Charlotte, "The Ignition Boost pales in comparison!"

"Vhat astonishing speed..." Observed Laura.

Thomas quickly looked on the satellite minimap on his HUD, quickly spotting the Gospel's signature.

"Hang on! Intercept is gonna be tight!" He said.

"So?!"

"If we launch Ichika early, we might be able to shoot him right at the Gospel without it detecting us!"

"Good plan!"

"There's bound to be a speedometer on the Gospel's scanner," Thomas predicted, "If so, then there's bound to be a capping point on how much in can read! If we move fast enough, it won't see us coming!"

"I see!"

Houki and Thomas sped up, and Ichika held on for dear life.

It wasn't very long before they caught up.

"Gospel!" Called Thomas, "12-to-4!"

"I see it!"

"10 Seconds!"

Ichika balanced himself on Houki's back, and readied the Yukihira Nagata for an attack. He charged the Rayrakubyukuya, and his IS began to glow golden.

"Now!"

Ichika shot off of Houki with incredible speed, and flew right towards the Gospel.

He was still several meters away, but the Gospel suddenly detected him, and quickly took a combat position.

"Keep going! Don't slow down!" Ichika called back as he gave chase.

The Gospel turned back, Ichika was gaining on it.

Suddenly, it dodged with expert skill, as though it anticipated Ichika's every movement with the calculations of a mad genius.

"How'd it-?!" Ichika was dumbfounded.

Suddenly, the Gospel spread its wings, and opened fire upon the trio.

Houki barely managed to evade, earning herself a case of heat burn on her back. Ichika could feel the burning heat as the Gospel's attack exploded behind him. Thomas, still using the Hypervelocity Shift, moved quickly enough to disappear from the naked eye.

"Houki!" Called Ichika, "Let's try to take it in a pincer maneuver!"

"Understood!" Houki said as she drew her swords.

Houki rushed the Gospel, attempting to keep it from moving. Thankfully, she was successful.

"Ichika, now!"

"Roger!" Ichika rushed in for the K.O. attack.

And that's when he saw it.

A thin streak of white moved upon the blue sea below them.

A boat?! Out here?!

Ichika ended up moving right past the Gospel and Houki, which threw his teammates off.

The Gospel seized its chance, and fired at point-blank at Houki, connecting and using the moment to break out of Houki's grip. Houki barely recovered in time, and narrowly dodged a second attack.

Ichika turned back, and quickly began to block as many blasts as he could.

It was then that Thomas, too, took notice of the boat.

"What the hell, Ichika?!" Snarled Houki, "You just blew our chance!"

"The intelligence was wrong!" Cried Ichika, "The instructors didn't scan the water! There's a ship down there!"

"A ship?!"

The trio took a quick analysis of the ship.

"Looks like a poaching vessel." Observed Thomas.

"Are you _nuts_?!" Shouted Houki, "We don't have time to deal with them right now!"

The Gospel, seizing the moment, opened fire on the three. Thomas, Houki, and Ichika quickly pulled back.

"They're just criminals!" Concluded Houki, "Nobody's gonna care about it! Forget them!"

"The situation's changed!" Explained Thomas, "We need to finish this now, or evacuate them quickly! It'd be best to do both! Pull back and defend the ship for now, we'll have to chase the Gospel if it tries to run!""

Ichika put himself in front of the boat to protect it.

_"The Byakushki's not meant to take that punishment!"_ Thought Thomas.

Thomas brought up his Barrier Shields, and quickly placed himself in front.

Normally, His IS Unit could take much, much more damage. However, since it was currently in Hypervelocity Shift, the energy for defense was drained for the sake of speed. Thus, the IS could only take so much damage, even with the shields.

Thomas barely survived.

The Yukihira suddenly fizzled out, indicating Ichika had used up too much power for it to work.

"You _idiots_!" Growled Houki, "You'd put protecting lowlifes over _this_?! If you can't do anything, then get out of her-?!"

Suddenly, Thomas delivered a powerful slap to Houki's face.

"SHADDUP!" He lectured.

"Houki, please..." Pleaded Ichika, "That's not the Houki I know! Like _Spider-Man_ said once, 'With Great Power comes Great Responsibility.' That means it's our job to protect them, whether we like it or not."

"Besides," Added Thomas, "It's really out-of-character for you."

"B-But..." Houki whimpered.

Thomas blinked. Did he slap her too hard? Did he hit her hard enough to make her cry?

She began to sob as her swords slipped out of her hands, and recalled.

Houki looked at herself, realizing she was trembling. She placed her head in her hands, and began to let the tears flow.

"The Gospel-!" Cried Thomas as he turned back to see it. Thomas quickly found it firing its biggest attack yet. It spun around, and unleashed a devastating finisher, the biggest attack it had yet.

And it was aimed right for them.

Thomas acted quickly, making a sudden scan of the Gospel before doing the unthinkable.

Suddenly, Thomas put himself between the blast and his friends, bringing his barrier shields to maximum density.

"Sorry, Mama." He whispered to himself, and closed his eyes.

Thomas's IS barely withstood the first attack. And this was even greater in intensity.

If Thomas had more time, maybe he would've found a better way. However, instead of thinking, he acted. His natural habits once again took hold of his body. His heroic, stupid habits.

Whenever there was a finisher at play, Thomas always dodged.

However, when there was someone in the vicinity of the finisher, he always blocked to keep them safe.

A noble instinct, to be sure. But one that brought about his end.

An alert popped up on the HUD, but Thomas's vision was beaten senseless, and couldn't make out the words.

Ichika and Houki raced to grab him before he could fall.

Ichika was blinded, Houki's ribbon came undone, and burned to ashes as it flew off her head.

The force of the Gospel's attack sent Thomas crashing into Houki and Ichika, effectively taking out all three in one fell swoop. Thomas's hand smacked Ichika, and sent Houki into a power dive.

A second alert flashed up on Thomas's HUD, but he never even saw it.

The trio all tumbled down, and crashed forcefully into the cold ocean below, nearly taking the ship they were trying to save down with them. The Gospel paused, as if to take in its victory, and continued on its way without so much as a care to the wind.

But Thomas never felt, nor saw what happened.

He was already comatose before he even hit the ground.

* * *

_Back at the Hotel..._

In the makeshift command center, the faculty plus Alexander quickly poured all their efforts into locating the Gospel.

"The pilot," Observed Alexander, "She won't last another day if we don't extract her soon."

"It appears the Gospel's stopped," Informed Miss Yamada, "Do you think Headquarters will want us to continue this operation?"

"Until we're told to stand down, we keep going." Affirmed Chifuyu.

"With what means? Shinonono and Orimura are still shaken from fighting the Gospel. And Scott hasn't shown any signs of waking up soon."

"I'll be damned if that boy flat-lines anytime soon." Growled Alexander.

There was a knocking on the door.

"Who is it?" Said Chifuyu.

"It's Dunois!" Called Charlotte.

"Your on standby! You can't enter right now."

Charlotte blinked in surprise and disappointment.

Suddenly, another woman walked up to the door, and knocked.

Charlotte stared, getting a sense she'd seen her somewhere before.

The woman had a lovely pale skin, long, unkempt snow-white hair, and crimson eyes. She seemed like Chifuyu, but a polar opposite in colors. She wore an overcoat, with what looked to be a black and white spandex suit with combat boots over her body underneath.

"Who is it?"

"It's me." Said the woman.

"Come in."

"Pardon me." Said the woman to Charlotte as she entered and closed the door.

"Doesn't she look familiar?" Muttered Cecelia, under her breath.

"Ve have to obey zhe orders of our superiors." Reminded Laura.

"But-." Argued Charlotte, "She _has_ to be worried about Thomas as we are. She was practically his older sister when they were younger."

"He was like my epic big brother, in a way." Said Ichika, "He always stuck out for me when he was around. It bites, honestly."

"What?"

"Nobody ever met his mom. The only two people who ever met her are Chifuyu and his dad, and they never told us anything about her, not even her name."

"That's...That's sad."

"Still...She _at least_ go and see him."

Ichika vividly recalled the aftermath of the Gospel.

* * *

_Ichika and Houki fought desperately to keep Thomas's head above the water._

_His IS Unit weighing him down was making it a challenge._

_Eventually, the IS automatically unlocked, making it easier to carry Thomas. By the time they finally returned, the sun was beginning to set. They dragged Thomas ashore, only to find a massive crowd waiting for them._

_Amongst this group was Alexander, Chifuyu, instructors, and the other Representative Candidates._

_Although the girls' immediate attention went to Ichika, they took notice and horror in seeing Thomas's critical condition._

_Chifuyu roared with obvious anger as she commanded the instructors to hospitalize him._

_"I want Scott treated and put on life support!" She snarled, "RIGHT NOW!"_

_She turned around and stomped away._

_The girls were all staring as Thomas was carried off to the hotel on a stretcher. Ichika was simply dazed and confused, as the girls surrounded him. Houki, her hair coming over her face, was left in silence, still processing the tragedy. Laura was the only one watching Chifuyu as she marched off. She could she her mentor and idol was absolutely angry with herself._

_Watching someone like Thomas beaten to such a degree was simply too painful to think about._

* * *

Laura finally broke the silence.

"Alright." She said, "Vhat should ve do?"

"Well," Pointed out Cecelia, "Miss Orimura hasn't gone to speak with Houki or even Ichika about this. I understand how badly the mission went, but isn't that rather rude?"

"Wright now," Explained Laura, "Zhey are concentrating on locating zhe Goshpel. Zhe inshtructor ish simply doing vhat she knows musht be done. Even she ish vorried about Thomas's condition."

"It's all my fault." Whimpered Ichika, "If I wasn't so busy butting heads with Houki, he wouldn't have had to bite the bullet for us."

"You know that's not true."

The students all turned to look at the mystery woman who entered the room earlier.

"I think the kid took it like a champ."

"Huh?"

"Listen. I was...His _nanny_ when he was a smaller kid."

"Thomas never told me he had a nanny."

"He kept forgetting. Despite how many times I came to help raise him with his dad."

"Oh. I'm sorry, what's your name."

"My name? It's...Yin. Call me Yin."

"This must be hard on you too, Miss Yin."

"Absolutely," Yin sat down on the porch with the students, "He was always a strange kid. I cared for him a lot, and I hope he did for me. Watching someone I'm so close too put his life on the line so soon..."

Yin's eyes began to water.

"We didn't even get close!" Complained Ichika, "The objective was, 'save the pilot and destroy the Gospel.' But we didn't even scratch it! I was so slow, so frigging weak! It's upsetting that Thomas is probably the only pilot skilled enough to pull this off."

He bowed his head.

"He should've done this. He would've been able to."

"Maybe, maybe not." Yin said.

The woman then got up.

"I need to go see the kid, see how he's grown up since...I left."

Ichika stared as she left.

Yin walked off as the students all began to wonder why she paused.

Suddenly, the Byakushki's Gauntlet began to beep, like when one receives as text message.

_Inside..._

Chifuyu stood in the command center.

Her heart weighed like an anvil.

She wanted to race to Ichika's side, and pull him into a tight hug. She wanted to go to Thomas, and watch over him as he recovered, much like a mother to her children. However, she knew far too well what would happen if the Gospel was allowed to escape.

She clenched her teeth, ready to lash out for not being allowed to care for those she loved.

* * *

Houki sat in Thomas's room, listening to the steady beeping of the heart monitor.

Thomas had been put in a bed, hooked up to life support equipment.

Somehow, his bones had been cracked in several places, he had serious head trauma, and was bound to be locked in a coma for a good, long while.

Houki sat in silence.

When She and Ichika pulled Thomas to the beach, they couldn't even tell if he was breathing.

Houki was scared.

Thomas had quite the good friend ever since they met. However, Houki wasn't exactly welcoming him with open arms.

She'd been so horrible to Thomas, back then, and right now.

Chifuyu's words still rang in her ears, with crystal-clear volume.

_"This mission was a complete failure!"_ Chifuyu said, _"If anything changes in the situation, I'll convene a meeting. And until that happens, you're all on standby!"_

They weren't even allowed to chase the Gospel, and give the soulless machine the punishment it deserved.

Houki began to whimper and sob quietly.

If she hadn't been so...stupid and actually gave more care to the situation, Thomas wouldn't have had to nearly get himself killed to save everyone! It was all her fault! All of it! She didn't deserve to have friends, or anything else for that matter!

Was she just using her feelings as an excuse to point blame?

Thomas would've hit her for, "Whining to the point she pissed him off."

Thomas was so damn righteous. He would've put his life on the line as well, just to protect some lowly scumbags from getting hurt. He stuck up for everyone, no matter who they were. He always hated discord, and wanted harmony all the time. He stopped fights, fought for and against, he'd always be there to help someone, even-no, _especially_ when it wasn't wanted.

Because that meant he could keep people happily living their own lives.

Thomas had a knack for giving.

He'd always give something up just to let others be happy with what they would receive. Whether that was support, or material goods. It was always so annoying just how kind and cheerful he always was when they first met.

When push came to shove, Houki simply couldn't measure up to Thomas.

She talked the talk, but when it came down to it, Thomas had been the one to prove it.

Houki vividly remembered the heat from all those explosions. She was only a meter or so away from the blasts. One could only imagine what Thomas felt when he was struck with the attack.

"You...were only trying to help me snap out of it when you slapped me." Realized Houki.

Yin walked in.

"Hm?!" Houki jolted, "Who're you?"

"Call me Yin. I was just coming to check up on Scott here."

Houki stared as Yin walked closer to Thomas.

"You...look familiar."

"To you? I'm not."

"Sorry..."

"S'fine. I'm...part of the staff at the IS Academy."

"Did you...know Thomas?"

"Nope. This is the first time I ever even got close to him." Yin said, her tone changing to something close to depression.

Houki's eyes left Yin, and looked back to Thomas.

"I've heard rumors," Said Yin, "The kid doesn't even have a mom or something."

"That's true, actually." Said Houki, "His mom supposedly abandoned him and his dad at birth."

"Sounds like a slut to me."

"Huh?! Don't mock his mom like tha-!"

"What kind of mom up and leaves her kid?" Said Yin, "I mean, c'mon! If she _really_ cared about him, she'd have done _anything_ to let him know she loves him!"

"Most kids have the mercy of _knowing_ they need to move on. But when it comes to cases like that...It just hurts, watching 'em be patient, so diligent in waiting for their parents, only to watch them realize they'd wasted their whole lives waiting on someone who never even cared."

"But you don't know that!"

"And you do?"

"T-That's not the point!"

"If she loved him, she never would've...left." Yin began to falter in admonishing Thomas's mother, as though she might've had such an experience herself.

"What's wrong?" Asked Houki, taking note of Yin's apparent distaste.

"It's nothing. Anyway, you need to go and rest up. From what I heard, sounds like you went through some real stuff on the mission as well. Go on, go take a snooze or something. Scott'll still be here when you get back."

Houki slowly stood up.

"Y-Yeah."

Houki then slowly walked out of the room.

Yin watched as the girl exited, and scooted herself next to Thomas's upper-torso.

She breathed in, she breathed out.

She bowed her head, and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"I'm sorry, sweetie." She whispered, "I love you. And I hope one day, I'll be able to finally give you the mother you deserve."

Her only wish was that Thomas, despite his comatose state, could hear her.

* * *

Houki ran across the beach.

She wanted to run away from it all.

Everything hurt.

She hated the pain, and wanted to be rid of it.

Unfortunately, she was still discovering that mere physical distance wouldn't be enough for her to outrun the pain.

She ran, and ran, until she could run no more.

She bent over, wracked with exhaustion, and frustration.

She was always so cruel to Thomas.

But her spite for him wasn't without reason.

* * *

_When Houki and Thomas first met, Houki absolutely despised the boy._

_He was so annoyingly cheerful. All. The. Time._

_When Ichika introduced the two, Thomas welcomed Houki like family. Houki, on the other hand, didn't quite do the same. He was already so annoying. The high, cheerful pitch in his voice. Bright light seemed to cast itself off of his body, making Houki envious. This, in turn, ended up causing her to always act rude and spiteful towards Thomas whenever he tried to get close to Houki._

_However, that all changed one fateful day._

_Houki, Ichika, Thomas, Alexander, and Chifuyu were all on a camping trip._

_Thomas had yet to give up trying to make friends with Houki._

_It annoyed her to no end._

_One morning on this trip, Thomas was fed up with Houki's hostile nature, and confronted her directly._

_Houki ran off, unable to convey her feelings. Thomas gave chase._

_Houki ran and ran. Thomas wouldn't let up in his pursuit, and continued his pace without exhaustion. The boy gave chase, and made her run so far away from the campsite, they wound up on an elevated trail next to a very fast-flowing river._

_Eventually, Houki couldn't muster the strength to keep running, and stumbled to a stop._

_Thomas was drawing near, and Houki still didn't want to face him._

_Houki stomped down hard as she prepared a takeoff for a mad dash in the hopes of finally losing Thomas. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to take a stick and give him a whack on the head._

_However, the weight of her foot managed to break through some of the ground beneath her. The sudden moment caught Houki by surprise, and she was sent tumbling to the river below._

_Houki hit the water hard, and narrowly managed to grab a large root at the edge of the river._

_She took hold, and held on for dear life._

_Houki was scared, Thomas looked terrified._

_Suddenly, Thomas turned tail, and ran away. Houki had never been more afraid in her life. Nobody really took notice of Thomas and Houki running away, and Thomas was the only person in range._

_Perhaps he was going to get help! No, he wouldn't. She'd been so mean to him, he probably wouldn't lift a finger to help her._

_Houki began to accept her fate._

_Splash!_

_Houki suddenly saw a large stick poking into the water next to her. She looked up, and found none other than Thomas, trying to hold his grip on the stick._

_"Houki!" He called, "Grab it! I'll pull you out!"_

_Seeing no better alternative, Houki let go of the root, and latched onto the stick with all of her might. She closed her eyes and prayed._

_Thomas struggled to pull Houki from the raging river, and quickly found that he was quickly losing grip. He clenched the stick harder, fighting against nature itself to save someone who hated him._

_The stick was slipping, despite everything Thomas tried. He squeezed the stick to the point were it was beginning to crack and splinter in his hands. Thankfully, the wood held fast, and Thomas was able to keep his grip on it._

_However, he now faced a new problem._

_The weighty and awkward stick, combined with Houki's weight, and the force of the river, Thomas quickly found that he was being pulled in alongside Houki. He planted his feet as firmly as he could, and struggled._

_He'd just been violently pulled into the river before he felt a soft, muscular arm wrap around his torso and pulled him to safety. Thankfully, Thomas refused to let go of Houki, pulling her out in the process. Thankfully, they were pulled out before they were swept away._

_Thankfully, their sudden hero turned out to be Chifuyu._

_"Big Sis Chifuyu?!" Exclaimed Thomas._

_"I noticed you two were running off, so I decided to tail you." She explained._

_Suddenly, she bopped both of them on the head right before pulling them into a warm hug._

_"Don't you dare scare everyone like that again, you two!" She scolded, "Any number of things could've happened if I didn't do something! Do you have any clue how terrified I am at the thought of letting you get hurt like that?!"_

_"S-Sorry, Big Sis..."_

_"Now apologize!" Commanded Chifuyu, "I know for a fact, Houki, that you've been acting mean to Thomas!"_

_"Sorry for being a big jerk, Thomas."_

_"It's fine!" Thomas assured, with his signature annoyingly bright attitude._

_However, it was no longer annoying to Houki._

_For once, the light that Houki hated had begun to grow on her._

_It wasn't too long before Tabane unveiled the IS, however._

_And thus was the story of how Thomas and Houki became friends._

* * *

Houki looked long and hard at the Akatsubaki's bracelet, sitting on her wrist.

One of her few friends in this world had nearly gotten killed trying to help her. Even when she threw his offering back in his face, and mocked him, and bullied him. And yet, he still tried to reach through all of that to her.

She didn't deserve to have it.

"There you are!" Snapped Lingyin, in her usual attitude.

You look Pa-thetic right now!" Insulted the Chinese pilot, "You're so predictable! You just run off and blame it _all_ on yourself! It's so obvious that's what you're thinking, isn't it?"

Houki stood in silence, too ashamed to face Lingyin.

"Enjoying your little self-pity party for one? TOO BAD! Party's over now!" Lingyin declared as she collared Houki, and forced the girl to face her. Oddly, Houki made absolutely nothing to respond, no retorts, no returns.

She'd accepted it meekly.

"Listen here, idiot!" Scolded Lingyin, "We gotta job to do, and we need you to do it! So stop sulking already, and get back to work!"

The smaller girl took a solid look into Houki's eyes, seeing nothing but pity and defeat.

"I'm finished as a pilot." Whimpered Houki.

"I quit."

Those two words brought Lingyin over the edge. She throttled Houki, and promptly delivered a hard slap to the face. Houki, somehow shaken by it, was sent falling, and hit the sandy ground.

"DON'T BE A SPOILED BRAT WITH ME!" Snarled Lingyin, "We don't have time for you to be such a whiny bitch right now! Especially not when you just got your own, brand-spanking-new Custom IS!"

Houki began to tremble and sob quietly.

"So, are you actually gonna get up, and make it right?" Lingyin asked, "Or are you just gonna be a coward who won't fight when it really counts for something?"

"I-I don't know what else I can do..." Whined Houki, "We don't even know where the enemy is!"

Suddenly, her fists clenched, and she finally began to stand her ground once more.

"But when the time comes, I promise I'll fight!"

Lingyin finally smiled, satisfied with the response.

"Okay, guys!" She called over, "Looks like she's back in action!"

It was then that Houki finally noticed the other pilots standing a few meters away.

"Didn't I tell you guys?" Quipped Lingyin, "Takes a pain in the ass to fix one!"

"Wait," Houki fumbled, confused, "W-What's going on right now?"

"Well," Stated Charlotte, "After watching a good friend getting beaten down, we all feel the same way."

"After all," Said Cecelia, "We can't exactly let some nothing from nowhere continue to exist with beating us, can we?"

Houki smiled.

For once, she didn't feel alone anymore.

"Besides," Commented Ichika, "I won't get bragging rights if I can't prove I can do this."

"Wait wait wait." Wondered Houki, "How're we going to find the Gospel?"

"I can answer zat." Said Laura, "Before our comrade-in-arms was shot down, he scanned zhe Goshpel, and recorded zhe Unit's energy signature. He'd sent zhe data to Ichika just as he was getting destroyed."

Even when he was down and out, Thomas still gave his friends a fighting chance.

"Speaking of which," Piped up Lingyin, "Have your friends found the Gospel?"

"I have zhe confirmation." Answered the German pilot as she deployed her Unit's right arm, and pulled up a screen.

"Zhe target has been confirmed 30 kilometers from here. In zhe air, and offshore. Zhe Unit ish in Stealth Mode, but doesn't appear to have Optical Camouflage. Ve vere able to locate it's position via satellite."

"That's the German Army's Special Forces for ya," Praised Lingyin, "Those girls kick ass!"

"And vhat is everyone else's status? Are zhe rest of you ready?"

"Of course!" Assured Lingyin, "The Shenlong's Offensive Specialization package has been installed."

"And I'm ready to keep the British end up!" Said Cecelia.

"Preparations are complete on my end!" Added Charlotte, "I can go anytime!"

"I'm burning to get back at the Gospel for last time." Said Ichika, "Orders or not, I'm going!"

"Hang on!" Cried Houki, "What do you mean by _'go?' _Isn't that against direct orders?!"

"So what?" Taunted Lingyin, "You just said you'd fight when the time came, yeah?"

"Jah," Asked Laura, "Vhat vill you do?"

Houki breathed.

"I..." She declared, "I will fight! I'll fight and win! Thomas nearly got killed giving us a second chance at this, we can't let it go to waste!"

"That's more like it!" Cheered Lingyin, "And this time, we'll nail that IS, and get Natasha Fairs out alive for sure!"

* * *

It was around midnight.

The Gospel hadn't moved a single inch from its position.

Almost as if it were waiting for something.

Or someone.

The pilots didn't really care however. This was an an opening they could use, and they'd use it.

Laura was the first to attack. She quickly deployed The Schwarzer Regen's Purizushi, took aim, and fired.

She made a direct hit.

"Success!" She called to her teammates.

_Back at the Hotel..._

Suddenly, an alarm went off on the equipment.

"Ma'am!" Cried Miss Yamada, "That was-!"

"I saw."

"But that's against orders! We have to call them back!"

"I always expected it would come to this, eventually."

Yin stood alongside Chifuyu.

"How's your son?" She asked.

"Sleeping like a baby." She said, disappointed.

"He'll wake up. Count on it."

Alexander entered the room.

"I just got the call! what's-?!"

Alexander and Yin locked eyes.

"Why the hell are you here?!" They said in unison.

"Quiet." Said Chifuyu, as she watched the battle begin.

_Back on the battlefield..._

The Gospel remained unharmed.

Suddenly, with the whiff and wind of its wings, it blew away the smoke surrounding it.

It then took up a battle stance, ready to engage the pilots.

Houki grit her teeth, ready to settle the score.

Ichika breathed slowly, trying to calm himself down to help ease his nerves.

Laura charged up the Purizushi again, ready to shoot the Gospel out of the sky.

Cecelia deployed her Optical Drones, and took a sniping position.

Charlotte deployed her Garm, and made her trademark aerial firing stance.

Lingyin charged her Shock Cannons.

It was time to end it.

* * *

**A/N: I feel I could've made a better ending, but that was all I had at the moment, sorry.**

**Well! It looks like Thomas's mother was near all along! Finally glad I got that off my chest.**

**Anyway, I sorta understand why if people think I'm just making small edits to the Infinite Stratos storyline, but I may or may not have a few twists still left up my sleeve...**

**I don't want to spoil anything too early, because then I'd have lost all my twisty stuff. However, you can count that, in a few chapters, you get to meet a villain connected to Thomas in this story...**

**I'm working as quickly as I can to write chapters, so I don't feel like I'm letting anyone down by being lazy.**

**I'd also like to take this time to help promote another story of mine: Prime's Bizarre Adventure Autobot Crusaders.**

**Prime's Bizarre Adventure is a crossover of Transformers/Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. In fact, it's the first! For once I'm not doing something that's been done to absolute death! Yay me!**

**For those of you who like Jojo, or Transformers, or the rare case that you like both, check it out! I've released a few chapters, and I'm currently working on Prime's Bizarre Adventure Part 1, 2, and 4. Since it's the first crossover of both, there isn't as much attention, since it's new and needs time to gather attention. It's got Obligatory-yet-still-good Jojokes, story, actual good content (I hope, at least), and of course, memes!**

**It'd be really helpful and appreciated to go and check it out!**

**If you have any suggestions/questions/concerns, tell me!**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	8. Worst Summer Ever, Part 4

**At last! This may very well be the last part of Worst Summer Ever! In this chapter, we're introduced to the other two of the Thomas Revive's abilities! I won't say just yet, but you'll see it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**As Thomas is shot down by the Gospel, he passes on the Gospel's energy signature, allowing the other pilots to track it.**

**A desperate gambit that nearly cost him his life.**

**Working together, Ichika, Laura, Cecelia, Lingyin, Charlotte, and Houki all band together, break orders, and go after the Gospel themselves! Will they be enough to bring this dark time to an end?**

**And, for that matter, is Thomas truly out of the fight?**

* * *

The Representative Candidates quickly engaged the Gospel.

Normally, the combined efforts of all but one Representative Candidates would be enough the overpower any individual foe. They refused to let up, they never even gave the Gospel time to breath.

But now?

Right now, the Gospel was like the wind.

Nothing could catch the Gospel.

"Continuing Artillery barrage!" Called Laura, as she took aim and opened fire.

The Gospel evaded each and every attack with utmost ease.

"It ish too fast!"

Suddenly, the Gospel raced right for Laura. Despite her best efforts, the Gospel moved too quickly to hit. It came closer, and closer, until it finally got within close-quarters range to Laura.

It reached for her, and almost snatched her.

However, Cecelia had managed to catch the Gospel unawares, and landed a single shot which nearly took it out of the air.

The Gospel recovered mere meters from the surface of the water below, and turned its attention on Cecelia.

Cecelia, not wasting any time for staring, opened fire with her sniper rifle. However, much like Laura, the Gospel moved too quickly to hit. However, unlike when it chased Laura, the Gospel simply moved further back, and vanished into a cloud.

It paused.

The Gospel was taking matters even further into its own hands. As it hovered, it switched from Safety to Attack mode.

It wasn't just trying to keep the pilot safe anymore. It was now actively going to kill the students.

Charlotte took advantage of the Gospel's pause, and opened fire with twin shotguns.

"I have you now!" She cheered.

The Gospel, taking damage from buckshot, quickly pulled back to avoid the overwhelming power from Charlotte's guns. Within moments, the Gospel had scanned and began to much more easily evade Charlotte.

Charlotte switched from shotguns the twin PDWs, and chased the Gospel.

However, the Gospel quickly fought back, firing at Charlotte.

Charlotte quickly pulled up an energy shield, and took the brunt of the attack.

"You won't take me down that easily!"

Suddenly, a single burst shot the Gospel right across its face.

The shooter being none other than Ichika.

"What?!"

"Interesting..."

"Ichika?! The Byakushki has a ranged weapon?!"

Ichika was taken aback by his own action.

"When did the Byakushki get a Charged Particle Cannon?" He asked himself.

The answer lied within Thomas's IS.

* * *

_Thomas's eyes jolted open._

_Odd. He was calm._

_He remembered just how vividly the Gospel beat him senseless. He'd passed out-or did he die? Didn't matter. His mind-maybe even his body, had been sent to this strange limbo, made of pure white void and nothingness._

_He'd made a contingency plan in those final moments to help the other pilots track the Gospel. His plan was to scan the Gospel, isolate and record the unique energy signature its Core gave, and somehow send that data back to help in case Houki and Ichika couldn't stop the Gospel from escaping._

_Wait...Did he even transfer the data? No, he couldn't have, he was being pulverized with laser blasts._

_And yet, he couldn't help but feel calm._

_Thomas focused his eyes on a single point._

_Wait...It wasn't a white void._

_As Thomas scanned the limbo around him, he could see the intangible walls shifting within themselves. He could make out shapes in the movements. Specific, unmistakable shapes._

_As far as his eye could see, the nothingness was made of binary code._

_An interesting observation, albeit utterly useless at the moment._

_"Do you want the power you've taken?" An all-too-familiar male voice said from behind._

_Thomas flinched. He whipped around._

_Now standing before him was a strange, yet familiar IS Unit. It faced him, but the Unit's front was shrouded in shadow, as though its back was to some light._

_The features Thomas could make out were a very wide broadsword, its outline was traced with white, implying it had white colors, and two golden gems sitting over the sides of the pilot's face, and a large helmet covering over the pilot's head, masking everything but the mouth. Unlike most Units, this IS had no wings on its shoulders._

_Thomas had never seen the IS before, and yet he couldn't help but feel as though he had._

* * *

Cecelia fired again and again, attempting to strike the Gospel and provide an opening for Ichika.

Ichika stopped using his new Charged Particle Cannon, since he'd used up a great deal of power already, and wanted to conserve power for the sake of hitting the Gospel in a single finisher.

He was still hesitant to do so, fearing he'd hurt Natasha Fairs in the process.

Try as Cecelia might, she couldn't hope to hit the Gospel at the speed it was moving.

Houki balanced Lingyin on her back, hoping to hit the Gospel head-on from range.

They were nearly successful, had the Gospel's Predictive Targeting not been active. Lingyin fired a massive blast from her Shock Cannon directly at the Gospel. However, the Gospel saw it, and tried to move out of the way.

The blast grazed the Gospel a bit, but didn't take it out.

"Did we get it?" Called Cecelia.

"Not yet!" Lingyin called back.

The Gospel made a quick recovery, and hovered just above the surface of the water, pausing it's movements to assess the situation. The AI began a series of quick, complex algorithms designed to counter and beat the IS Academy Students.

Lingyin launched off of Houki's back, and began to unleash a barrage from her Shock Cannons. The attack was too slow to hit the Gospel, and ended up trailing the Unit by a few meters as the Gospel zipped away.

Houki zoomed up to the Gospel, attempting to keep it from moving and create an opening for Ichika.

She brought both her swords upon the Gospel, only to have the Gospel grab them and begin to wrestle her for control of their struggle. The Gospel, being a machine, easily had the motor strength, and began to overpower Houki.

"Houki!" Cried Ichika, "You gotta let go! Drop the katanas and get away from it!"

Houki refused to budge, and the Gospel pulled her higher into the air.

"Houki!" Cried the other Representative Candidates.

Suddenly, the Gospel's left wing popped open, revealing an energy weapon. The Gospel charged its wing, ready to blow Houki out of the sky permanently.

The Akatsubaki still had a few tricks of its own.

Houki brought out the Akatsubaki's footblade, and rolled in midair. She brought her heel down on the IS, and cleaved the wing clean off the Gospel's shoulder. The Gospel was struck with enough force, it was sent falling into the ocean.

Ichika raced to catch the Gospel before it could hit the ground. The Unit landed in his arms, and he began to try and pry the IS open, so he could extract Natasha Fairs's comatose body before the Gospel could do any more harm. The Gospel's remaining wing fell off, and sank into the sea.

Laura slowed to a stop next to Houki.

"Are you alright?" Asked the German Candidate.

"Yeah...Just fine." Muttered Houki.

Suddenly, the Gospel glowed in Ichika's arms.

It then erupted with energy, knocking Ichika away, the Gospel curled up into a ball, and began to rise and hover in the air. The Gospel uncurled itself, and protruded two new energy wings to replace the ones it lost.

"It ish going into Second Shift!" Called Laura.

The young pilots all began to fear for their lives as the Gospel charged itself up.

There was no way they'd come out of this unscathed.

* * *

_"Well? Do you want the power you now possess?" Said the mystery IS._

_"I...I don't know." Said Thomas._

_"Why?"_

_"I don't even know what you're talking about!" Erupted Thomas, thoroughly exhausted with all the inexplicable nonsense around him, "I don't even know you, and yet I feel like I do! Nobody tells me anything! About my past, about my identity, about my mom-ALL OF IT! I'm so frickin' sick of not getting any answers!"_

_Thomas locked eyes with the pilot._

_"So," His tone changed from screaming to snarling, "You're gonna tell me what I need to know, or God help you if you don't!"_

_The IS stood silent, as if to consider its options._

_"As you were struck down," Began the pilot, "You wield the power of other IS Units. A power that you now possess freely. I will ask once more; Do you really want the power you have received?"_

_Thomas blinked._

_"That's about as good as anything..." He muttered to himself, "Y-Yeah...I do."_

_"And why do you?"_

_Thomas thought long and hard._

_Why did he agree to...whatever power he agreed to?_

_"Because..." Thomas answered, attempting to find the right words for the right answer, "Because I want to hold onto my friends?"_

_That sounded desperate._

_"No..." He rephrased, "To right the wrongs I've seen."_

_"And why is that?"_

_Thomas breathed in, and out._

_"Lessee..." He spoke, "If I'm honest...All my life, I've always felt I was the weakest of the bunch. I was always alone...and sad...and I never was able to sleep correctly at night."_

_He remembered everything._

_"When I had nightmares, my Mom was never there to let me hug her and cry. And I never wanted my Dad to think I was pathetic, so I just laid in bed until I fell back to sleep. When dad was at work, and I was at home, Mom was never there to do anything with me, and so I grew accustomed to being all alone. The only people I ever felt I could relax around were the Ichika, Houki, Tabane, Chifuyu, Lingyin, Dad, and Nana. And then..."_

_Tears formed in his eyes._

_"...When I was in the 5th grade, we were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. Other boys wanted to be sports celebrities, politicians, actors, librarians, professors, and all sorts of other stuff."_

_Tears were making their way and beginning to spill out of his eyes._

_"But me? When it was my turn to answer. I told them...I told them..."_

_He was now breaking down and crying._

_"I told them I wanted to be an IS Pilot."_

_He began to choke and whimper._

_"Everyone all laughed. It was so awful! I couldn't hear anything, but other kids-boys and girls alike-laughing at me! I...I...just wanted to do something I thought was awesome, but they all said that I couldn't because I was a boy, and not a girl! My teacher, the classmates who tolerated me-ALL OF THEM JUST LAUGHED! The only person who didn't was Nana-AND I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO HOLD A CONVERSATION WITH HER!"_

_Thomas dropped to his knees as he sobbed miserably._

_"Do you know what it's like? Living in a world where literally everyone tells you you can't do something?! Living life knowing that you're just another number in the population, because you're just some random guy, and you're physically incapable of doing what half the population can? Hearing nothing but people telling you can't, and laughing at you?"_

_"...I do." Replied the pilot._

_"Huh?" Thomas sniffled._

_The White Knight took a knee._

_"Listen, kid." He said, "Stop moping. You've done something not many can do."_

_"T-That being?"_

_"You showed the entire world they're wrong. You've done the impossible, you got in an IS and you showed the whole world that you, too, can be an IS Pilot."_

_The white void around them turned to memories from Thomas's mind._

_When Thomas was fooling around, and discovered he could make an IS move._

_Thomas fought Ichika, and managed to win with his wits alone._

_The young boy even held his ground against 2 elite IS Pilots._

_The White Knight offered a hand to the grovelling boy._

_"Now go," Said the pilot, "And show them that you can fly with the angels."_

_Thomas timidly reached, and touched the White Knight's palm._

_What he would do next, was up to Thomas, and him alone._

* * *

Alexander flinched as he woke up.

Chifuyu and Yin turned to look at him.

"What's wrong?" Yin said, zipping to his side.

"It's nothing." Said Alex, "Just give it a few minutes and it will be."

Chifuyu and Yin were dumbfounded.

"Why are they still ignoring us?!" Cried Miss Yamada, upset that the students purposely ignored them.

"They've turned off communications, I'm not even surprised." Said Chifuyu

Suddenly, Honne, Kiyoka, and Shizune threw open the door to the room with a loud bang.

"Miss Orimura!" They cried in dismay.

"Get out!" Scolded Chifuyu, "We're in the middle of an operation!"

"We understand, Ma'am! But..." Started Shizune.

"Thomas is..." Whimpered Kiyoka.

"HE'S GONE!" Bawled Honne, right before going into full hysterics.

Yin paused for a single moment, and burst right through the students as she raced to Thomas's room. Alexander quickly raced behind her, absolutely terrified of what the girls were implying.

Chifuyu eventually followed them, reluctant to she what she feared most.

The three girls timidly followed behind.

The three adults raced at top speed, nearly slipping to a stop on the wooden floors as they reached Thomas's room. Yin, who was very overprotective of the young boy, smashed the door open with a mighty kick, cleaving and blowing the door to splinters.

They heard the heart monitor flat-line.

Alex, Chifuyu, Yin, and the girls raced to where Thomas lay...

...Or rather, where he once laid.

They quickly discovered that it wasn't Thomas's dying body that made the heart monitor flat-line...

...But his absence from the bed.

* * *

A ball of energy formed above the Gospel's head.

The ball then squeezed out a powerful energy beam, and the Gospel waved the attack around at the students, trying to end them once and for all.

The beam connected with Houki, and sent her falling as smoke trailed from the Akatsubaki.

"Houki!" Cried Cecelia.

The Gospel turned its wrath upon Cecelia, and chased the girl.

Cecelia did what she could, but simply couldn't escape the Gospel's overwhelming speed. The Gospel quickly caught up to her, and came within close-quarters range. Suddenly, the Gospel's energy wings grew, and shaped themselves into massive claws.

The wings then wrapped around Cecelia, and snapped themselves shut.

To twist the knife, the Gospel charged the wings, and sent a powerful pulse. After doing so, the wings opened up to release Cecelia.

Cecelia, who'd been knocked out completely by the attack, plummeted to the water below.

The Gospel charged another energy beam, and aimed for Charlotte. The Gospel fired, and scored a direct hit. Charlotte, thinking quickly, brought up an energy barrier to protect her from harm.

The beam broke right through the barrier in 2 seconds, and clocked Charlotte right in the head, sending her falling back.

Ichika, who'd been tossed aside earlier, managed to land safely on rocks below, resting and recovering from the fatal attack he suffered.

Houki crashed on the rocks nearby him.

Lingyin and Laura were fighting to hold the line, but they knew too well they wouldn't last long.

The Gospel zipped to Lingyin, and with a single slap of its wing, sent Lingyin flying. Lingyin barely managed to recover, and steered the falling Shenlong into a guided crash onto a small island. However, the impact debilitated the poor girl, and left her stunned.

The Gospel then zoomed too fast for Laura to see, delivering a sharp knee to Laura's stomach. As Laura writhed in agony, the Gospel raised its arms over its head, brought its fists together, and slammed its fists into Laura's back, sending her down to Earth hard.

The Gospel hovered victoriously into the air.

It made the mistake of not finishing the job before, and it wouldn't do so again.

The Gospel charged one of its biggest attacks yet, with energy blitz and the energy beam.

Ichika, being the only one who was even remotely capable of getting up, saw the Gospel beginning to deliver the coup de grace.

He knew what he had to do.

Ichika remembered Thomas risking life and limb to protect him and Houki. And now, it was Ichika's turn to do the same for everyone else.

If he could move fast enough, he would be able to meet the Gospel before it could fully unleash the killing blow. If he could put himself between the Gospel and the girls, he'd be able to use himself to help block the finisher, even if much of it slipped by, he'd be able to cover the girls enough to save them.

The attack would kill him for sure, but he'd die giving the others enough time to get back on their feet.

Ichika stared death in the face.

The Gospel had almost finished charging the energy beam and blitz.

But never got the chance to use either of them.

Out of nowhere, a hailstorm of energy blasts and sizable bullets rained down upon the Gospel, disrupting its focus and quickly stopping the attack windup dead in its tracks.

Everyone looked to the sky to see the source of their stroke of fortune.

Suddenly, a green streak zipped across the sky, and smashed right into the Gospel, even taking it along for a ride.

The blur stopped, and the Gospel flew back from the sudden halt.

It was Thomas, with his Revive currently in Hypervelocity Shift.

"I am _so_ angry right now...Really! I have half a mind to quit the IS Academy right now!" He scolded, his IS switching from Hypervelocity to the Primary Shift (Generic 1st Shift).

"Thomas!" Cheered Ichika, as he flew up to greet him.

"What the actual _FUCK_, Ichika?!" Snarled Thomas.

"Huh?"

"What were you thinking?!"

"What're you talking abo-!"

"I get shot down, and put in a frigging coma..."

"Where are you going with this, Tommy-ol'-pal?"

"And when I wake up..."

Ichika gulped.

"I find out that you, and the girls, decide it was a good idea to directly disobey orders..."

"B-But-!"

"...And you all fuck off to go fight a deadly killer robot bent on killing you..."

"I'm sorry! But Chifuyu-!"

"WITHOUT ME!"

Ichika paused.

"What the-!"

"We're bros, man! Bros before hoes! Why'd you think you could just leave me behind and go do something with friends?!"

"You were comatose-!"

"YOU COULD'VE WAITED!" Complained Thomas.

"I mean, it was a stressful time, and we couldn't wait!"

"Is that so?!" Said Thomas, cartoonishly gasping as though he were offended, "I-I thought we agreed that I'd never you behind, and then you leave _me_ behind and now I'm-I'm just having trouble trusting again!"

"Well, you're here now, better late than never!"

Thomas sighed.

"Yare Yare Daze," He muttered, shooting a glare to the disabled Gospel, "Looks like I made it just in time."

"We could really use your help! The Gospel's too much, even with all of us going at it!"

"I see..."

"Think you could pull another one of your clutch moments? Like when we play video games?"

"Not like I have another choice-!"

" Hey, wait! You were _destroyed_ from the last fight, what about your wounds?!"

"What wounds're you talking about? I'm totally fine!"

Thomas then looked up to see the Gospel finally recovering from Thomas's devastating ram.

"Right. Ichika, see to the others, I'll keep this thing off your back."

"Gotcha! And...great to have you back."

"Great _to be_ back!" Thomas called as he zoomed off, quickly activating Hypervelocity Shift.

Ichika then turned his attention to the girls, and set off to help them get back in the fight.

The girls had all managed to get their sight back to working order only to find Thomas directly engaging the Gospel. A surprise, to be sure.

But a welcome one.

The Gospel attempted to rush Thomas, but quickly found that the tables had turned.

Thomas evaded each and every attack it made with style, grace, and ease. Each time the Gospel sent an energy blast, it seemed as though Thomas was teleporting out of harm's way. He almost instantly got within close-quarters range.

The Gospel lashed out with a right jab. Thomas snatched its fist, and began a fluid aerial melee combo. He coiled and slid around the Gospel's body like a snake, delivering kicks and punches as he slipped around.

The Gospel quickly countered.

It broke Thomas off, and attempted to snap its wings shut upon him.

Thomas acted quickly, switching back out of Hypervelocity Shift back into Primary Shift, and bringing up his Barrier Shields. He braced the shields on his sides, and effectively acted as wedge to block the wings from closing. He then used the gap to launch himself out of the Gospel's wings, which snapped shut with him at a safe distance.

"I'm gonna have so much fun..." He said with a smirk.

Ichika hovered in the air.

"Sorry ve took so long." Apologized Laura.

"It's time to strike back." Declared Cecelia.

"_Oui._" Agreed Charlotte.

"Let's send this hunk of junk where it belongs!" Smirked Lingyin.

Ichika landed, and helped Houki to her feet.

"Sorry, Thomas was busy, but he's covering for us right now." He consoled.

"He's alive?!" Yelped Houki, "How is he?!"

Ichika and Houki both looked to the sky as they heard explosions.

"He's fine. Looks like he just started using...is he using two grenade launchers?!"

"I thought we was done for..."

"Looks like mortal wounds aren't enough to keep him down!"

"You're...alright..." Houki began to cry a little.

"Houki?"

Houki lunged at Ichika, and wrapped him into a bone-crushing bear hug.

"H-Ho..ki...cusching...meh..."

"Oh, sorry!" She let go.

"It's...fine." Said Ichika, letting oxygen flow through his lungs once more.

He blinked.

"Oh! Before I forget..." Ichika pulled out a ribbon, and gave it to Houki.

"Huh?"

"It's July 7th, right? Happy Birthday!"

"But..why now...?"

"I saw your ribbon burn up, and I bought this one before the trip. I just felt it wouldn't be right not to have you wear it now."

"Th-Thank you..." Houki said as she tied the ribbon on her hair, and brought back her regular hairstyle.

Suddenly, the Akatsubaki began to glow with golden light. Houi's HUD light up with subsystems. Her power readout also jumped back to full, and topped off.

This took everyone by surprise.

"What ish happening?!"

"_Sacre Bleu!_"

"Oh my!"

"What in the world is-?!"

"Incredible!"

"My power's been restored?" Marveled Houki.

The HUD labeled this as the "Kenran Butou."

"This must be the Akatsubaki's 4th Generation Ability!" Houki concluded.

"Welp!" Said Ichika, "Thomas can't hold the Gospel on his own forever, let's go!"

"Right!"

The two childhood friends took to the air.

Ichika simply wanted to finish the fight and go home.

Houki was a bit distracted, Ichika had never seemed more handsome to her before.

The 6 Representative Candidates all began to follow Thomas as he chased the Gospel.

* * *

The sun was coming up.

Thomas paused for a single moment to process.

_"I've been at this all night?!"_ He thought, _"At least I get bragging rights for it!"_

Thomas looked at his power readout.

"Nuts and bolts!" He groaned, "Wasted too much power with the Shifts! Cover me!"

Cecelia and Charlotte provided cover fire as Thomas pulled away from the Gospel.

Thomas then flew back to the group.

"Damn," He said, "I think using too many Shifts too quickly drains power."

"Well then," Said Cecelia, "You've done enough as is, Thomas. You need to let us handle the rest, you were seriously hurt and we can't afford to lose you again!"

"Just gimmie a second..." Said Thomas as he closed his eyes and began to concentrate.

Much like the Akatsubaki, the Refale-Revive began to glow golden, and quickly recharge.

"You can do that too?!"

"I noticed the ability while I was on my way here." Explained Thomas, "It's called, "Overcharge." I can use it to restore power when I activate it. I'm assuming it's the second ability Tabane installed into my Revive."

"Handy!" Comment Charlotte.

"Right." Said Thomas, "Let's start actually planning something. The Gospel keeps evading almost everyone, me and Houki are the only two to hit it close-range, Ichika's able to one-shot it. Think, think, think..."

They needed to get the pilot, but had to destroy the Gospel. The Byakushki had the Yukihira Nagata, Barrier Void, and the Rayrakubyakuya. Shenlong had Shock Cannons. Schwarza Regen had a Railgun. Blue Tears had Drones, Rocket Pods, and a Sniper Rifle. Charlotte's Refale-Revive had roughly the same arsenal as Thomas's did.

Wait...

Thomas quickly pulled up his Weapons list.

He scrolled through.

"Tabane, if there was ever a time you came through for me," He prayed to himself, "Right now would be much appreciated..."

That's when he saw it.

A Shock Glove? Why would he need a Shock Glove? Unless...

"Hang on, hold the Gospel off while I think of something!" Called Thomas.

"With pleasure!" Said Ichika, as he and the girls charged the Gospel.

Houki gave chase, clashing with the Gospel several times.

Thankfully, she was able to restrain the Gospel with her swords.

"Ichika, now!"

Ichika lunged for the Gospel, Yukihira Nagata in hand.

The Gospel responded, firing energy blasts point-blank at Houki, breaking out of her hold, and racing to meet Ichika head-on. The two clashed, each moving back and forth to meet each other, playing a game of chicken with the other.

The Gospel pulled back, and opened fire upon Ichika.

Ichika pulled even further back, and moved quickly to avoid the energy blasts.

"Laura, hit it!"

Laura had taken up a sniping position with her Railgun on one of the small islands below.

"Understood!"

She opened fire, from behind the Gospel. Purposely pot-shooting at the Gospel to get its attention, rather than actually strike it. The Gospel whipped around to search for Laura.

Ichika seized the opening, and struck.

However, the Gospel anticipated Ichika's surprise attack, and flipped back to dodge. Laura continued to fire, and unfortunately did little more than give away her position to the Gospel.

The Gospel pulled out of Ichika's range, and opened hailstorm upon Laura.

Laura wasn't able to pull away or even activate her AIC in time.

The only thing she could do was cover up her body with her IS as the Gospel rained hell at her.

Cecelia's Optical Drones opened fire at the Gospel, managing to catch it off-guard, and struck it from behind. The Gospel whipped around like an angry person, and saw Cecelia hovering over it.

"I'm right here!" She challenged, "Do your worst!"

Lingyin seized the moment, and struck the Gospel repeatedly with her Shock Cannons.

"One more time, Ichika!" She called.

The Gospel suddenly spun around, and unleashed a massive blitz upon Lingyin.

Lingyin was unable able to dodge in time.

Charlotte, acting quickly, moved and snatched Lingyin in her arms, and brought up an energy barrier to protect them. The barrier wouldn't hold under such punishment, and everyone, including the Gospel, knew it.

"Someone help!" Cried Charlotte, "We can't hold on much longer!"

The Gospel paused, as if to take in its victory.

However, there were still two IS Pilots that were unaccounted for.

"Oi, oi!" Called Thomas.

"You're not going anywhere this time!" Shouted Ichika.

Suddenly, Thomas and Ichika were flying right for the Gospel, side by side.

Ichika drew back his right fist, the Byakuski's hand changing into an Energy Claw. Thomas deployed his left Shield Pierce, setting it to maximum impact.

With both of the boys punching and pushing their Units' thrusters to maximum output, they smashed into the Gospel, and began to push against it.

The Gospel could handle a single IS Unit punching it. But, when faced with two powerful Units pushing maximum power and driving their fists into it, the Gospel wasn't able to hold its ground against such overwhelming power.

Both Thomas and Ichika twisted their punches into Hooks, and let inertia take its course as the Gospel was blown away.

"That thing isn't stopping!" Said Ichika.

"I think I finally have an idea that'll work!"

"Feel free to share!"

"My Revive has a Shock Glove. Maybe I can use that to deliver a jolt to Natasha Fairs's brain, and shock her back awake!"

"Are you insane?!"

"It works in superhero stories."

"This isn't a superhero story! THIS IS REAL LIFE!"

"Do you have a better idea?"

"...Touche..."

"Question now is, 'How're we gonna get through to Natasha?'"

"Beats me! This is your idea!"

The Gospel recovered.

"The Gospel might be on its last legs!"

"You really think so?"

"We really don't have a better alternative right now..."

"Go."

"Huh?"

"Get as close to the Gospel as you can, Thomas." Said Ichika, "I can use Barrier Void, and that give you direct access to the Gospel's outer plating. If you can get to it without getting blasted, maybe you can shock Natasha through the Gospel's armor."

"Okay then, wish me luck!"

Thomas and Ichika raced for the Gospel.

Once again, it unleashed a blitz of energy blasts.

Thomas broke through with his left Barrier Shield, and Ichika simply hacked his way through with the Yukihira Nagata.

Both boys were in position.

"Now!" Called Thomas.

Ichika deactivated the Gospel's overshields. Thomas rushed in. He grabbed the IS by its wrist.

He then activated the Shock Glove, and prayed.

The entire IS lit up with electricity, and underwent several spasms.

Thomas let go. The Gospel began to shake as it hovered, beginning to lose control of itself. Oddly enough, it quickly recovered. Thomas began to fear he might've done something wrong.

Was the Gospel insulated? Or did he kill the pilot inside?

"I don't think it worked!" Observed Ichika.

"No shit!" Thomas acknowledged as he quickly pulled back.

"What now?"

"I don't know-!"

"What?"

"Ichika, pull back."

"Why?!"

"It's come to fisticuffs."

"You can't just straight-up punch the pilot out of the IS!"

"Watch me!"

"No don't-!"

Thomas had already charged at the Gospel. He then brought out one of the Revive's PDWs. Acting before it had the chance, Thomas quickly went around and got behind the Gospel.

He grabbed it by the shoulder with his free hand, and fired the PDW's entire magazine into the Gospel's back. The energy wings began to flicker as they reacted to such a risky close-range attack.

Thomas could tell he was playing a dangerous game.

If he went too far, he risked hurting, even killing Natasha Fairs, if she wasn't already dead. However, if he did too little, the Gospel would seize the advantage, and end him for sure.

He really didn't know just how hard he could hit, and still bring a happy ending.

Thomas pulled his punches only to a certain degree. He knew it was only a matter of time before he could wear down the Gospel's overshield, allowing him to get more hands on. However, it was an even shorter matter of time before the Gospel decided to blow him apart.

How could he possibly time this correctly?

Wait!

_"The rules of IS Matches!"_ He thought, _"That's right! First person to use Absolute Defense loses! But, that also means I can see the Absolute Defense when it kicks in! That said, I need that to happen sooner rather than later!"_

The Gospel began to put up a better fight.

A good sign.

Normally, the sight of a very powerful foe upping their game was something people were wary of. However, for Thomas, it meant that he had the Gospel on the run, and he was getting close to the end of the fight.

All he had to do now was win it.

The Gospel opened fire once more, Thomas evaded and blocked.

Suddenly, he got an idea to help speed things along.

Quickly, he raised his shields to maximum, and dropped onto an island below. The Gospel followed without question, and began to open fire over and over. There was no possible way Thomas could survive taking such punishment for very long.

But he didn't have to wait that long.

"What're you doing?!" Cried Ichika, "The Gospel's about to rip you to shreds!"

"Get out of there!" Called Cecelia.

"Are you an idiot?!" Snarled Lingyin.

Thomas remained silent, holding his breath. The Gospel seemed relentless, furiously trying to finish Thomas for good.

Houki and Ichika finally caught onto Thomas's plan.

"Keep it up!" Cheered Houki.

"Wait 'em out!" Supported Ichika.

As if on cue, the Gospel began to slow in pace. The lights on its body flickered, and it let up.

Thomas decided to taunt. He waved his hand, as if to say, _"Take your best shot, keep it coming."_

The Gospel quickly obliged, and charged an energy beam.

Thomas rolled, and made sharp turns to avoid being shot down.

The Gospel was wasting its own power away. The rouge IS was now beginning to flicker and die, and lose its balance and stability. But, despite it's critical situation, it still carried on as it lashed out at the boy.

Thomas smirked, this fight was finished.

He zipped right up to the Gospel, and deployed his left Shield Pierce one last time.

He squat into the position to unleash an uppercut to the chin. If the blow connected, only heaven knew how much damage it'd do to Natasha Fairs. However, despite Thomas's small experience with the Shield Pierce, he was far more calculative in his movements than he seemed. Instead of a straight uppercut, which could damage the pilot's neck, Thomas curved his punch.

Instead of smashing the Gospel's chin, he hooked it with the rear cladding on the Shield Pierce.

He knew the Gospel was spent, and delivering a knockout right then and there would be far too risky. Had he gone through with the actual uppercut, the Gospel would've most likely shut down, and plummeted into the ocean.

That meant that there was a chance the Absolute Defense would shut down, or the IS would go into Standby Mode, and expose Natasha as she fell.

However, Thomas pulled his punch only by a few feet, at most. The cladding hooked the Gospel's chin. Instead of finishing it, Thomas wanted to pull Natasha out of the Gospel before he destroyed it.

With the edge of the cladding, Thomas broke the safety lock on the Gospel's helmet. He pulled his fist back instead of up. In doing so, he flipped the Gospel's helmet right off of Natasha's face.

No blood on her face? Good.

With the Gospel shutting down, Thomas seized the moment. He pulled the Gospel into his arms, and began to rip the armor right off of Natasha's unconscious body. He did so with great care.

When he assumed he opened the Gospel up enough, he reached in and grabbed Natasha by her shoulders. He rolled, and pulled Natasha out of the Gospel, which began to fall with nothing keeping it in the air.

Thomas held Natasha in one arm, and pulled back his Shield Pierce for the coup de grace.

He bolted downward, chasing the Gospel before it could hit the water.

He struck the Gospel with his Shield Pierce right through the open cockpit, and shredded the machine to pieces.

The scrapped IS fell into the ocean, creating several splashes and ripples.

Thomas recalled the Shield Pierce, and began to hold Natasha bridal style. For a moment, her face twitched, as though she'd regained consciousness, but quickly fell back to her unconscious state.

He breathed in, he breathed out.

"Fucking finally..." He muttered.

The other pilots raced up to Thomas as he slowly began to land on a beach.

"About time!" Said Lingyin.

"It's finally over..." Whimpered Houki.

"You did great!" Complimented Ichika.

"Well," Said Cecelia, "Despite being the foolish boy that you are, and rushing headlong into battle mere moments after waking up...I would have to admit, I am quite pleased you did."

"At last!" Declared Laura, "An IS vorthy of you! Now ve vill fight to determine once and for all vho ish superior! Our battle vill be legendary!"

"At last," Muttered Charlotte, "We can finally go home..."

"We're not out of the woods _just yet_," Informed Thomas, "Chifuyu'll want an answer for this."

The group all groaned, knowing full well he was right.

"But," Said Thomas, "After nearly dying twice in the span of a month..."

He chuckled.

"...I personally wouldn't mind it. Besides, there's nothing anyone can do now that can take this away from us. They can cry me a river for all I care at this point, they never had to stare death in the face twice."

They started to fly back home, everyone but Thomas feared for their life about what Chifuyu would do to them.

Thomas, on the other hand, couldn't care less about what the instructor had to say.

* * *

The pilots returned by 9:30.

The sun was shining, the birds were chirping...

...And they were all standing in line, as Chifuyu debriefed and scolded them.

"Mission complete!" Chifuyu said sarcastically, "That's what I want to say, but after this little misadventure, you all have disobeyed orders, you're in serious trouble."

"We understand." They said in unison.

"When we return to the Academy, I expect all of you to submit a report to apologize for this little spat. For most of you, expect that you will be put through serious and rigorous extra training, so be prepared. But for Scott..."

Chifuyu marched, stepping in front of the boy and locking eyes with him.

"...This only adds onto punishment for destroying the Uchigane. I hope you understand that I haven't forgotten about that little 'accident.' I may still be coming up with the perfect punishment right now, but sleep in fear knowing full well you've only dug your hole deeper after this deed."

"Y-Yes ma'am..." He groaned.

The other students all looked at Thomas, sending their sympathies to him.

He'd certainly need them.

"Miss Orimura?" Piped up Miss Yamada, "I'm sure that everyone's all tired, is now really the time for all that?"

Chifuyu sighed.

"I guess I have to say...Well done."

The students flinched. Did Chifuyu just compliment them?

"I'm glad you all came home in one piece."

Thomas remembered something they'd left unsaid.

"What about Natasha Fairs?"

"I was actually waiting for someone to bring that up." Said Chifuyu, "She's mostly fine. When Scott used the Shock Glove on the Gospel, it appeared he jumpstarted her back into a conscious state. Although she's malnourished, and will need physical therapy for a while, she's able to stand and move. And, now that I thought about it, she wanted to see you, Scott."

"Me?!"

"She wanted to thank you for saving, I guess. She's-!"

"Right here..." A weak voice called from nearby.

Natasha was gripping an IV Pole as she slowly made her way up to the group. She squinted as she entered the sunlight, the sudden change in lighting being quite jarring upon the pilot's eyes.

"Oh! Um...Miss Fairs." Said Thomas, stunned that the woman was already up and moving.

"You must be...Thomas Scott, right?" Said Natasha, offering a free hand to shake.

"Y-Yes ma'am! Big fan!" Thomas said, gently taking the pilot's hand and shaking it with utmost care. He began to blush, being given the opportunity to meet to someone he'd looked up to in middle school.

"That's funny..." She muttered.

"Hm?"

"Why would you be a fan of mine?"

"W-Well..."

"If anything, 'm a big fan of yours."

"Really?!"

Natasha placed a her hand on the Thomas's cheek. The boy's blush began even deeper.

"You're so cute right now..." She blinked, as though she were beginning to fall asleep.

"Um, l-listen...You're not thinking clearly..."

"I am...Jus' lemme give you a lil somethin..."

"What're you-?!"

Natasha's free hand went to grab Thomas by his shoulder. Within seconds, she'd pulled his head close to hers, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She'd lingered for a moment, and lazily pulled away.

Thomas was at a loss for...everything, as he was left trying to process Natasha's sudden action.

"Heheh...You're like my very own cutie knight in shining armor...Thanks fer the save, big guy~!"

"That's quite enough of that." Growled Chifuyu, with a hint of anger in her tone and face.

"Let's get you back to your room, Miss Fairs." Said Alexander as he helped Natasha on her way. Natasha continuously muttered absolute nonsense as she slowly lulled back into sleep.

As he left, Alexander turned back, and gave his son a thumbs-up.

Thomas was still processing, and didn't notice.

"Enjoy your break." Chifuyu said, still a little angry, but calmed down.

The students dispersed, leaving Thomas still in shock, frozen in place like a living statue.

Chifuyu gave him a firm yet gentle slap on his back, and brought him out of his daze.

"Seriously? You'd let a such a little thing like a _kiss_ get you all worked up?!" Said Chifuyu, "Please! You need help if you're going to get a girlfriend someday! And there's no way I'm letting you go after Natasha Fairs, of all people! She was just...not thinking clearly!"

Thomas became confused. Why would Chifuyu get so mad over something like that?

Was it because Chifuyu felt like a big sister figure to Thomas?

Eh, didn't matter.

Thomas stomach growled.

All of the drama, the mystery, and to behind-the-scenes stuff going at this hotel would have to wait.

He was hungry, and he'd destroy anything that'd get in the way of him and breakfast.

* * *

_That night..._

The group dressed into their robes.

Thomas dressed in a pair of shorts, a beige ankle-long duster coat, and a spandex shirt.

He breathed in, and breathed out.

Suddenly, he began to savagely devour everything on his plate.

Students who were curious of the events that transpired began to group up upon the pilots.

"What happened?!"

"What cause the Gospel to go crazy?"

"How did you manage to beat it?"

"Tell us! Tell us!"

Thomas put down his bowl. Menacingly.

"Oh? What's that? You want to know? You truly want to know?!"

"Yeah!"

The aura around Thomas turned dark, as the other pilots were too scared to silence him before he leaked classified information.

"Well, to answer you questions..."

Everyone leaned in, opening their ears to what Thomas was about to reveal.

"...Things happened."

The aura was immediately dispersed. Any fear that people had before was destroyed.

"Don't tease!" They whined.

"Listen," Said Thomas, "This is government-level classification. If you want to know about it, I'd have to get in trouble with Japan itself to tell you. I mean, I can fight anyone, but it'd be such a pain, and you really don't want to be put under government surveillance, let me tell you! Besides, I literally have no clue myself!"

"Aw..."

"I guess..."

"Yeah, I don't want to be under house arrest for the rest of my life..."

The students all began to talk amongst themselves about other topics. Thomas relaxed his shoulders, and continued to indulge himself with the food he had before him, taking to pieces of sashimi, and placing wasabi between them, and eating it as though it were a mini-sandwich.

Just as he was recovering from the burning in his nostrils, he saw it.

A woman walked past the open doorway, Thomas was only able to catch a fleeting glimpse.

But the sight was unmistakable.

Snow-white hair, pale skin. Just like in his dream.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" He snapped, jumping up from his seat, and racing to the doorway.

The girls were all confused with his sudden shift in behavior, and watched as he raced through the door.

He slid and placed a hand on the wall across the hall to avoid crashing. He looked down the hall, where the woman he saw mere moments ago was walking towards. The hall was dark, for some reason.

Thomas flinched. The hall was silent, and empty.

As if there had been no-one at all.

Thomas stared. Did he really see who he thought he saw? Was it just a hallucination?

"Hey, Tommy?" Said Honnie, "What's wrong?"

Thomas relaxed, and sighed.

"Nothing," He said, "I just thought I saw someone familiar."

He turned back to the dining hall.

"Guess I was wrong."

* * *

Tabane sat on a cliff, high over the beach below.

Her simile had yet to wear out.

She looked at footage of Thomas's Revive in action.

"Wow..." She awed, "I didn't expect his Revive to duplicate Core abilities as well..."

"Strange, isn't it?" Interjected Chifuyu, walking out from behind a tree.

"I knew something was going on." Said the instructor, "I secretly took a look at Thomas's Unit after we recovered him, I couldn't help but notice it had some of the Byakushki's and the Akatsubaki's data. It also appeared to have copied the ability of the Byakushki's Core...Or should I say Core #001? The White Knight's core?"

"Cool..."

"That does beg the question, however." Said Chifuyu, "If Ichika has the White Knight's Core, then what Core does the White Knight have now? I've seen him wearing it, and there's no way he could put it in Standby Mode without a Core."

Tabane looked back, closed one eye, and put a finger on her lips.

"Spoilers~!" She whispered, making Chifuyu change topics.

"I'd expect you purposely gave the Revive's Core that ability. I'd almost hate to ask, but why that ability? Isn't he a little too dangerous to himself as it is? He already has the Overcharge, and all those other Shifts..."

"Maybe," Said Tabane, "I really don't know why I gave him that Core, the idea just struck me when I was playing around with it myself. When I thought about what would be the perfect present for Tommy-Kun, it actually took me a long time. Can you believe it? Me, Tabane the Genius, stumped on what to make for the best early birthday present for one of the enigmatic boys in the world!"

Tabane remained silent for a few moments.

"Now that I think about it..." She concluded, "I guess I gave him Data-Duplication because I felt sorry about him not having a mommy, because right around when I installed the core, I thought about adopting him and making him my sweet widdle baby boy~!"

"So, you gave it to him just to pamper him?"

"I guess so!"

"Hm..." Said Chifuyu, "Let's have a hypothetical conversation then. Suppose a super-genius lures a boy who's trying to take a high school exam to a hidden location with an IS Unit, and sets the IS to move at a specific point in time. And then, when no male in the world can pilot an IS, the boy appears to have made the IS move."

"But that'd be the only time the IS ever moved, wouldn't it?"

"Let me finish." Said Chifuyu, "And then, this genius lures another boy to another IS. And designs it to respond only to the boy, and the boy makes it move."

"Then that boy would be the only person who can move that IS."

Tabane and Chifuyu fell silent.

"Honestly," Admitted Tabane, "I myself don't know why the Byakushki moves, or why Tommy-Kun and Ichi-Kun can pilot IS Units, even with the glitch that stops men from doing so."

"Alright then, let's try another hypothetical." Suggested Chifuyu, "Our super-genius decides to have her little sister debut on a grand stage. The perfect plan would be a rogue, experimental and highly-dangerous IS Unit going haywire and a powerful new IS Unit that's far ahead of its time. The genius sets the IS to go haywire, and just as the time is right, the super-genius throws the new IS into the mix for her little sister, and the sister makes her grand debut."

"Sounds like a very 50-steps-ahead kind of mischievous genius." Observed Tabane.

"One of a kind," Said Chifuyu, "like the kind of genius who could hack into the military computers of twelve countries and use their armaments for their own purposes."

"Hey, Chi-Chan?" Said Tabane, "Do like the world as it is now?"

"More or less."

"I think its a place that can be fun if I make it fun." Said Tabane.

Chifuyu blinked for a moment, and one moment was all it took.

Tabane had vanished from sight, and, like a thief in the night, was never seen again.

* * *

Thomas walked along the beach, taking in the summer night air.

The cape of his coat flapped in the wind. To any who looked at him, he looked incredible as his coat bellowed heroically in the wind. Instead of his usually cocksure grin, his face was somber and zoning out.

He'd been through quite a great deal in the span of three days.

How long was this beach trip, anyway? Eh, didn't matter.

Who was that woman? Was she the one in the hall, or the one with the car? Or both?

Was she really the "mom" Thomas had dubbed from that strange dream of being born?

Why did he hide these things from Chifuyu? Why did he refuse to be responsible, and tell her about what he knew? Was it because it sounded as though if he told her now, he'd just be left even deeper in the dark on the subject?

Was...He losing trust in Chifuyu?

No! He couldn't be! Chifuyu was practically his big sister, he'd trusted her for years! Why would she lie to him about such personal things? She'd only omitted things from him, so why was he starting to feel wary about talking to her?

An omission is essentially the same thing as lying.

Thomas cursed his mind for answering such a question.

He wanted to trust Chifuyu, He really did.

But now? That trust he'd put so passionately in her possession was slowly beginning to fade away.

Just how much of the truth was everyone keeping from him?

Was his mother the only thing they weren't telling him?

Thomas, despite his bold and incredible behavior, was surprisingly very fragile when it came to his most private moments. He could actually come to tears over such things, and at times, he did.

He really needed to interact with friends more often.

As if on cue, Thomas saw flashing lights and noises in the distance.

He focused his eyes, and looked to see what was causing such a disturbance.

What he saw was Lingyin, Charlotte, Laura, and Cecelia all currently in the IS Units, and firing down upon Ichika and Houki as they ran across the beach.

It didn't take a genius to figure out why.

Thomas's cheeks puffed up, he began to tremble. Suddenly, he broke out into full-on laughter as he fell on his side, and struggled to breath. Just when the dark was entering his mind, his friends messed up everything, and brought Thomas back to his modesty.

What would he do without them?

"Hey guys!" He called, as he got up and raced towards them, "Wait for me!"

He ran past the group, raced up to the cliff overlooking the side of the beach. Thomas sprinted, a smile on his face, and a pep in his sprint. The boy jumped off the cliff, and deployed his Revive. He flew over the others, and began to try and calm things down.

This is why he loved them. Mostly innocent people getting into innocuous trouble, allowing him to join in, and have fun with them as they went about messing around in their little antics.

There was a dark secret in Thomas's life that he had to uncover, urgently.

However, that could wait.

After all, he still had to act his age once in a while.

* * *

**A/N: And with that, the Worst Summer Ever is now over! Sorry for dragging it out so much, but to make up for it, I threw in several pieces of foreshadowing here and there.**

**I even got to do a "Yare Yare Daze!" But don't get upset because it was just a single Jojoke, I've got more Jojokes planned throughout the rest of the story! Maybe even a Jojo-themed chapter.**

**Sorry, I'm a big Jojo fan.**

**Considering that Infinite Stratos is currently in a state of limbo, that being the mixed signals on a third season for the anime, and the long time it'll take for me to get translations for the Light Novel. Depending on that, there might be a hiatus sometime.**

**But that won't happen for a while, since I have so much of my own plot that I want to write for this story! I have more male IS Pilots that will eventually surface, I just need to find the right time for their debut!**

**Although you might think this is the end of any summer vacation chapters, don't worry! I've got plenty of ideas for the summer, and they'll be here as soon as I get around to writing them!**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	9. Not-so-peace and quiet

**And now, here's the start of the summer vacation arc! In these next few chapters, I'll just be doing random sketches. At least, they're supposed to be random, I may or may not be bringing in foreshadowing and the like here and there...**

**Besides, this one's just sort of an obligatory!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**As Summer Vacation begins, comedy ensues!**

**When Thomas wants a simple and quiet start to his summer, it ends up in chaos when Ichika's girl friends all decide to come over! Ichika and Thomas will have their hands full trying to keep the girls entertained!**

**Can Thomas recover his peace and quiet? Or will he have to remake his summer plans?**

* * *

Charlotte gulped.

She'd never been to Ichika home before, let alone go to a place like the suburbs before. Being the daughter of the Dunois family, the only two places she knew of were a cabin in the forest, and the luxury of wealth.

This was something entirely different.

"It's okay, it's okay!" She reassured herself, "Ichika said he would be home today!"

Out of nowhere, a very unexpected face popped up.

"Charlotte?" Said Thomas, standing behind the girl.

Charlotte yelped, jumping around in surprise.

"_Sacre bleu!_" She cried, "Thomas, you scared me!"

Thomas was wearing a different choice of casual clothing. Instead of his trademark shorts and a long coat, he wore a pair of comfy beige cargo pants, a form-fitting black t-shirt, and a brown leather apron. He was currently holding what Charlotte assumed were...costume pieces?

"What're you doing outside my house?" He deadpanned.

Wait.

What did Thomas mean by _his_ house?

"You mean..." Deduced Charlotte, "You live here?!"

"I don't know, do I?" He said sarcastically, "Yes. Yes I live here."

"U-Um..." Observed Charlotte, "If you don't mind me speaking, I've noticed you've become a bit more...Irritable?"

Thomas sighed.

"Sorry," He apologized, "It's just...I was hoping for Ichika to not turn my start of summer vacation into a fight for my life."

"Hm? What do you mean by that?"

"Well..." Said Thomas, "Let's just say it's never a dull moment when everyone decides to get together and do group stuff."

Thomas opened the gate. He left Charlotte in confusion with his usual cryptic banter.

"C'mon, you're already here, no point in beating around the bush."

"Excuse me?" Asked Charlotte, "By any chance...does Ich-!?"

"Yeah he does," Admitted Thomas, "He's inside. Come on in."

"I can come in?!" Charlotte said excitedly.

"No point in trying to fight it, just hurry up before I lock you out." Thomas groaned.

Charlotte was taken aback by Thomas's shift in attitude, but too distracted to really care about it for more than a second or so.

Thomas opened the door, took off his shoes, and called into the living room.

"Oi! Chastity belt!" He declared, "Charlotte's here to see you!"

"Cool!" Ichika called back from inside.

Charlotte was confused.

Ichika _actually_ responded to being called a chastity belt? And why was Thomas so rude yet casual at the same time? Did she do something to make him angry? She tried to search her memory, but found nothing that would've set Thomas off like this.

Or was he just like this in private?

Thomas ushered Charlotte into the living room.

"I'll leave you 2 lovebirds to it." He joked.

Both Charlotte and Ichika quickly became flustered.

"We're not in love!"

"Yeah!" Said Ichika, "Why would we ever be in love?!"

Charlotte was quite hurt by Ichika's insensitivity.

"Oh.. I see how it is..." Growled Charlotte.

"What're you so mad about all of the sudden?!" Cried Ichika in dismay.

"Now that we have the obligatory cock-block out the way," Said Thomas, "I'm going to lay some ground rules. I have been put through serious shit in the past month, and personally, I don't know how much more I can take."

"What do you mean? The Academy's been normal!"

"That's not helping, now shut you trap, I'm not done. Anyway, as I was saying...you can stay as long as you want, but no sleepovers. Don't tread on me, I won't tread on you, don't blow up the house, don't try to kill each other-I will kill you both and bury your collectively dumb asses on the lawn-no freaky 50 Shades of Gray sh*t in this household-basically, do anything stupid and I will kill you so fast you won't even know you're dead 'till next Tuesday."

Thomas turned around, and left Charlotte and Ichika.

Moments later, he quickly zipped back in.

"And one last thing, most important thing of all," Thomas added, "Whatever you do, _do not_-I repeat, _Do. Not._ Barge into my room. I have some...personal business I need to attend to, and the last thing I need is other people sticking their noses where there especially don't belong."

"Lemme guess," Joked Ichika, "Your 'business' wouldn't happen to be certain magazines, wouldn't it?"

"For the sake of this conversation, yes." Said Thomas, "In reality, no. But try and figure what I'm doing and I will have to silence you permanently. In fact, it'd probably be best for everyone's sake if you just pretend I'm not here, and forget about me."

"I see." Ichika's voice cracked.

Normally, Charlotte wouldn't mind the vulgar banter between the two boys, but Thomas's very presence had already just put a serious kink in her alone time with Ichika. On top of that, Thomas was acting far more rude than normal.

How could she _not_ pay attention to something so suspicious?

Thomas turned back, walked down the hall to what Charlotte assumed was his room, shut the door, and locked it from inside.

"What's his problem?" Said Ichika.

"You mean he doesn't act like in private?"

"No. He's usually a lot more casual and jovial. He's always that way in public, and private. I guess the stress of moving from America to Japan, nearly getting killed twice, and attending an all-girls school is getting to him. But then again..."

"Hm?"

"...Thomas has a habit of completely misleading people in these situations. Whatever's bugging him, it's best to just let him deal with it on his own, he tends to get cranky when other people interrupt him when he really wants to do something. Let's just leave him be."

"A-Alright then..."

It was then that Ichika and Charlotte could hear drilling coming from Thomas's room.

"Is this normal as well?" Asked Charlotte.

"I...I think we should check on Thomas." Said Ichika, revealing that the situation had just taken a turn for the unnatural.

The classmates quickly raced to Thomas's room.

"Thomas!" Called Ichika.

"Oh come on!" Thomas responded from behind the door, "I gave you something so easy! You had one job! _ONE! JOB!_"

"I get that, but-!"

"I'm working in here! Just do what you're doing, leave me be!"

"Why are you being so difficult? Just let us see what's going on!"

"Not yet! It's not ready to be seen yet!"

"What isn't?"

"I'll show you later! Just behave yourselves and be patient if you're so damn interested!"

Ichika turned to Charlotte.

"Yeah, let's just wait for Chifuyu to get back, maybe she'll be able to get Thomas to come out."

"_Oui..._"

As the two went back to the living room, Charlotte couldn't help but wonder what a normal day was like for the Orimuras and the Scotts.

"Sorry..." Apologized Ichika, "It's not usually this...combative..."

"Oh, it's fine!" Assured Charlotte.

"Uh...Oh right! I have some Barley Tea in the fridge! Lemme go get it!"

"_Merci!_"

The two sat down, and both drank a cup of Ichika's Barley Tea.

"So, do you do all the household chores?"

"Nope. Usually, me, Thomas, and his Dad split the chores between the three of us. Chifuyu's always super-busy, so she can't be around to do much. Now that I think about it, there was a really long time she didn't come home at all."

"I see."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"Who could that be?" Pondered Ichika, as he went to the outside camera monitor.

"Hello, Ichika darling!" Cecelia greeted from the gate.

"Cecelia? What're you doing here?" Asked Ichika.

"How're you doing on this fine day? I was just in the neighborhood, and decided to pay a visit!"

"You...Were just in town?" Ichika questioned in disbelief.

"O-Oh...Yes! I was just at that famous cake shop, with all the fancy selections! See?" Said the heiress as she pulled out a box.

Ichika opened the door to let her in. No harm could come of it in Ichika's mind. For everyone else, however, things were about to become very...uncomfortable. For Ichika, having the more meant the merrier.

For the girls, the fewer the better.

For Thomas, his plans for a quiet start to Summer Vacation had just been blown clear out of the water.

Cecelia walked inside, a smile on her face...

...And then she spotted Charlotte standing right behind Ichika.

Charlotte smiled nervously, knowing things could get hairy between her and Cecelia...

...And knowing Thomas was certainly the type who just might deliver on his threats.

"Agh, dammit!" Thomas shouted from his room.

His door unlocked, and Thomas marched outside with a frustrated look on his face. Cecelia stared, absolutely dumbstruck by the encounter. From what she knew, the Orimuras lived in the house...She wasn't expecting the Scotts did as well.

"Where'd I put the frigging-Hi Cecelia-the dag-blasted things?!" Thomas said without even stopping.

"What's wrong, Thomas?" Asked Ichika.

"Left some boxes somewhere-oh right! They're in the garage!" Thomas said as he burst out the front door.

Moments later, he came back in with a few sizable cardboard boxes. As he set the boxes in his room, Thomas raced back out for more boxes. He continued this process for a minute or two, and quickly shut his door when he'd finished.

However, he didn't lock the door this time.

"Did he...have a box of spray paint cans?" Inquired Cecelia.

"I thought I saw machinery in one of those..." Observed Charlotte.

"Wait! Does he...live here?" Asked Cecelia.

"Yeah. Good thing too, we don't get tired of each other's company. It was quite lonely when Chifuyu didn't come home, I guess the same goes for Thomas."

Cecelia then realized her plans to woo Ichika with her womanly charm had not only just been shot down by Charlotte's presence, but sent to the deepest pit of hell by Thomas's as well.

Not that she really had any problems with the boy anymore, but...

...He really wasn't helping her chances of getting Ichika to fall in love with her.

"I'd hesitate to ask, but..." Cecelia finally said one of the questions on her mind, "What is Thomas doing in there?"

"We don't know." Confessed Ichika, "At first, he locked the door so we couldn't peek inside. And I'm actually a little scared of what he might do if we peek inside now. But, he's willing to share when he's done, so we can just wait for him!"

"I see...Oh, right! Well, I have some cakes here, so..."

Thomas's guerrilla entrances had really offset Cecelia, making the atmosphere awkward enough.

Charlotte, Ichika, and Cecelia all sat down at the couch as they decided to take a look at Cecelia's haul.

"Oh wow!" Complimented Ichika, "They're all different!"

They certainly are!" Said Cecelia.

_"It was pretty much the two of us until now..."_ Charlotte thought to herself.

_"Just what is Charlotte doing here?!"_ Thought Cecelia, _"Was that cross-dressing fraud trying to get ahead of me?!"_

Ichika took a fork, and decided to take a taste-test of one of the cakes.

"This one's great!" He cheered, "Oh hey, why don't we swap a little piece from each of the cakes?"

"Oh yes!" Said Cecelia, "That sounds like a wonderful idea!"

"Do you mean we should feed each other?" Said Charlotte.

Cecelia and Charlotte locked eyes in shock, both beginning to form a plan.

"Sure!" Said Ichika, "That sounds great."

Charlotte and Cecelia were delighted at his response.

"Aw..." Ichika groaned, "But you wouldn't want a bite from the piece a guy's already eaten from, right?"

Their hopes sank like the Titanic.

"No no! It's absolutely fine!" Assured Charlotte.

"Yes! I insist!" Agreed Cecelia.

"And actually," Said Charlotte, "I would _really_ like to have a taste from each of them, so...Let us eat cake!"

Thomas's door bust open. Footsteps thundered down the hall.

Thomas slid to a stop, with a glare in his eyes.

"Please tell me you just said what I think you just said!" He called.

"Eh..._Oui_?" Whimpered Charlotte.

"Alright, you do you, I was trying to make sure." Thomas said as he walked back to his room and closed the door. After the trio could hear muffled sounds of Thomas's work, including the sound of spray paint, cutting, and much more. It may have been quieter, but they could still hear it.

Charlotte and Cecelia locked eyes with smiles, and shook hands.

To them, it felt like and alliance between two nations that would benefit them both.

"Well, if you're so sure, I guess it'll be okay..." Said Ichika.

"Right!" Said Cecelia, "Let's begin with _your_ cake!"

"_Oui_!" Agreed Charlotte, "I want _you_ to feed us!"

"Okay..." Ichika said, bringing out a clean fork.

He broke off a piece of cake, and prepared to feed.

"Okay!" He declared, "Cecelia's first, say 'ahh.'"

"Cecelia did as told, closing her eyes and opening her mouth. Ichika pushed the fork forward, and Cecelia bit down upon it, savoring every inch of her crush's treat for her. It almost felt arousing for a moment.

Cecelia squealed with delight.

"So, it's good, huh?" Ichika asked, completely misreading the situation.

"Yes!" Answered Cecelia, who really didn't care about his density, "It's heavenly!"

"Ichika!" Asked Charlotte, "I am next, right?"

"Yup!"

Ichika pulled off another piece of cake.

"Say 'ahhh.'"

Charlotte did as told, closing her eyes and waiting for the joy the cake to finally be hers. The moment it was in range, Charlotte chewed upon the cake. She too, much like Cecelia, was enthralled by the rush of Ichika feeding her.

"D'you...like it?" Ichika asked, confused by Charlotte's reaction.

"Ah..." Muttered Charlotte, "Yes, I like it very much."

"Okay then!" Said Ichika, "Now I should get to have a bite from each of yours-?!"

"Hold it right there!" Snapped Cecelia, "It's _our_ turn to feed _you_ this time! That's how this whole thing is supposed to work!"

Cecelia is correct!" Said Charlotte, "That is how this should go!"

"If you think about it..." Said Ichika, "There's no reason I can't just eat the cake using my own fork-?!"

"NO WAY! YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" Cecelia and Charlotte shouted in unison.

"Now just relax! Okay?" Said Cecelia.

"Say 'ahhh.'" Cooed Charlotte and Cecelia, their cake-tipped forks at the ready.

As if one cue, the doorbell rang.

This time, it was Houki, Lingyin, and Laura.

"I don't mind all of you stopping by," Said Ichika, "but it would've been nice if at least _one_ of you let me know you were coming."

"And just how would I have done that?!" Questioned Houki, "I didn't know I was doing anything today until now!"

"Yeah!" Added Lingyin, "What gives?"

Without warning, strange sounds erupted from Thomas's room.

"What...Was that?" Asked Lingyin, taken aback by the sudden occurrence.

"Oh," Explained Ichika, "Thomas is working on something in his room, he seemed really set on making sure no-one interrupted him."

"Wait!" Piped Houki, "Thomas _lives_ here?!"

Out of nowhere, the ensemble of noises stopped.

Thomas threw his door open and marched out into the living room, a paint gun in his hand, and a vapor mask he'd pulled off his mouth hanging from his neck.

"I swear to God," He ranted, "If I have to hear that goddamn question one more time, I will blow your asses all the way to the west! YES! Yes, I live here, I'm sorry I'm putting a kink in you all trying to get to the bone-zone, but I live here and I will fight you if you don't like it!"

He turned around, and walked back to his room.

"Now, don't come in my room! I'm still working!"

He shut the door, and left it unlocked again.

It started to seem as though he was daring the other students to peek inside.

"I don't see the problem." Complained Lingyin, "Is showing up unannounced really such a big problem? Or...could it be that you have something to hide? Spill it! Magazines? Drugs? Confess your sins!"

"What? No!" Cried Ichika, already overwhelmed.

_"Damn,"_ He thought to himself, _"If Thomas was here, he'd be able to help, but..."_

"I zhought zat it vould be an amusing surprise for you if I stopped by, unannounced." Explained Laura, "So Ichika, are you amused?"

_"I hate how bold Laura is,"_ Thought Lingyin, _"But I can't help but envy her confidence!"_

"It's too hot to go outside, should we do something inside?" Asked Ichika.

The girls all agreed.

_"Of course!"_ Thought Houki, _"I specifically chose a day I knew Ichika would be home!"_

_"If we got outside," _Thought Lingyin, _"We'd risk running into the Gotanda Siblings, and that'd just ruin everything!"_

_"We just can't go outside!" _Thought Cecelia, _"I came all this way so I could learn something new about Ichika, not the neighborhood!"_

_"If there is any chance at all,"_ Thought Charlotte, _"I'd really like to see what Ichika's room looks like."_

_"I am extra curious," _Thought Laura, _"Zhis is zhe house of Mentor Orimura."_

As Ichika pondered the question, the girls were beginning to feel quite antsy about what Thomas was doing inside his room.

"Let's go check on Thomas!" Suggested Lingyin.

"No..." Explain Ichika, "He made it clear he doesn't want anyone disturbing him..."

"But he's been doing all sorts of strange things when we see him out side his room." Protested Charlotte.

"I understand he wants it to be a secret, but I must say, he's really not helping his case." Said Cecelia.

"I just want to see what crazy thing he's making this time." Admitted Houki.

"I too vould like to see vhat Thomas ish vorking on. Vhatever it ish, I assume he vill be putting his American Pride into it. Truly, he ish a man of great dedication to his country!" Said Laura.

"That's...mildly confusing." Said Ichika, "But still! It's just not right to invade his privacy!"

"We need to be sure he's not up to something!" Said Lingyin, "He could making a robot monster, or something worse in there!"

Ichika was so dumbstruck he couldn't even respond.

Finally, he gave in.

_"Sorry Thomas."_ Ichika thought to himself.

* * *

The group all tread carefully and quietly, in the hopes Thomas wouldn't hear them coming.

Ichika made everyone swear that they'd only take a very quick peek, and that would be the end of their little stealth mission. Just a few seconds, at most, would do to satisfy their peaking curiosity.

Lingyin went first, tip-toeing lightly as she reached for the doorknob.

Ichika was having second thoughts, seeing as he let Lingyin go first.

The group held their breath as Lingyin noiselessly touched the doorknob. As she slowly reached her fingers around the metal object. She raised her fist to signal her comrades to prepare. Lingyin quietly twisted the doorknob.

The tension was so thick, it could be cut with a knife.

Ichika assumed Lingyin would quietly and slowly open to door a tiny degree.

He should've known better.

Lingyin threw the door wide open without a warning.

"Alright!" She commanded, "We caught you red-hand-huh?!"

Thomas's room was pitch-black. The curtains were drawn, the lights were off, and the severely limited light that entered couldn't even begin to help them see what was happening inside.

The group timidly entered a few steps into the room, tension was replaced with anxiety.

They then heard the door begin to slowly close behind them. Ichika snapped back, raced to the door and pushed against to ensure they wouldn't be trapped inside. When the closing stopped, they had even less light to see with.

They then heard a deep, raspy, gargling growl.

The group, fear stricken on their faces, all trembled as they did their best to try and narrow down the source of the noise. The growl droned on at a constant pitch and volume.

It was a very terrified Cecelia who looked to the ceiling.

She screamed, the others all turned upward and did the same.

**"PREEEECIOUUUUUUUUUS!"** Screeched a humanoid-like figure, clinging to the ceiling.

It drove them over the edge.

The group all ran out screaming, nearly tripping over themselves in a frenzied and desperate attempt to escape from the horrors of the dark room.

They slammed the door shut as the last person escaped.

For a moment, there was silence.

Thomas turned on the lights, and landed on his feet as he dropped down from the ceiling, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Heheh...Bunch a' idiots. It was bound to happen sooner or later." He chuckled to himself.

He turned away from the closed door, and resumed his work.

* * *

The girls and Ichika breathed heavily as they reached the safety of the living room.

"What...What was that?!"

"I think it was a monster!"

"Wait! Thomas was in the room, did that thing..."

"No way! It couldn't be Thomas."

"Zat was...exhilarating!"

"How the hell're you so satisfied?!"

"Thomas ish clearly employing advanced defense tactics to stop us. He's thought of everything!"

"Actually," Clarified Ichika, "I think he knew we were coming."

"Huh?!"

"I mean, we weren't exactly quiet about planning to break into his room..."

"True...But still! We still don't even know what he's up to!"

"I think it's best if we just play some games..." Suggested Ichika.

"Seeing as that was a total bust," Agreed Houki, "I guess occupying ourselves until he's finished will have to do."

After some time of playing board games, everyone tired of trying to find a game they could all have fun playing. Eventually, the group all settled on watching a show, or a movie. Now, all they had to do was agree on what to watch.

"We should watch _Gundam Micro_!" Declared Lingyin.

"Oh please!" Snickered Cecelia, "We should watch something much more refined! What decent shows do you have? Do you have _Downton Abbey?_"

"I vote for _Samurai Warbots_!" Said Houki.

"Well..." Suggested Charlotte, "I've always heard great things about _For Honor_...Maybe _Assassin's Creed_..."

"Hmm..." Laura closed her eyes as she thought long and hard, "Since I have no idea on zhings like zhese, I vill place my trust in you, my bride."

Ichika was stuck on his choice.

There were so many choices! The Scotts brought over tons of their entertainment over from America, meaning Ichika had a lot more choices to watch from. He and Thomas had a lot of trouble on decisions like these!

He was going to need a distraction.

The front door opened.

"So that's what all the noise was about." Said Chifuyu as she entered, "Ichika, you didn't tell me you were having a party."

"M-Miss Orimura?!" The girls cried in dismay.

"Where's Thomas? That boy should be helping entertain guests." Chifuyu muttered.

"He's...busy in his room."

"Seriously? What am I going to do with that kid? Stay here, I'll go get him."

Chifuyu went to Thomas's room, and threw open the door.

"C'mere, you!" She snapped as she wrangled Thomas like he was a wild animal.

"I'm busy!"

"You've been working on that thing for way too long! Besides, you need to interact with people more often! So stop acting like such a goddamn cat and get out there! Ichika's been trying to entertain the girls all day and you've been pretty damn rude!"

After a full minute of struggling, Chifuyu came back to the living room with Thomas reluctantly in tow.

"Alright," She said, "now behave yourself!"

"Fine..." Grumbled Thomas.

"Okay then," Chifuyu said, "You girls make yourselves at home, but no sleepovers!" She turned to leave. "Oh, by the way, Shinonono. I've heard you haven't been to your Family Shrine in a while, you should visit sooner rather than later."

"Hold on," Said Ichika, "You're leaving already?"

"Unlike you slackers," Chifuyu said as she smiled and rubbed Ichika's head, "The Instructors have work to do, even during the summer."

"What's dad up to?" Said Thomas.

"Hm? Oh, when you moved, he switched jobs. He's now working at the IS Academy. Probably should've mentioned that sooner."

"Seriously?"

"That's about the size of it. Now, you two do your best at entertaining guests."

With that, Chifuyu left.

"So..." Thomas broke the ice, "What're you all up to?"

Lingyin was bold enough to ask what was on everyone's mind.

"What've you been working on?!"

"Ugh, knew someone was going to pull that one sometime."

Thomas got up.

"Alright everyone, lemme show you."

The group eagerly followed Thomas to his room. Thomas opened the door, moved some boxes out of the way, turned on the lights, and at long last, displayed his secret creation he'd been working so privately on.

A blue helmet with a golden crest on the forehead, blue gauntlets, blue boots, and red pieces laying about.

"No way..." Said Ichika, instantly recognizing it.

"I don't..."

"Vhat ish zat?"

"Is this...cosplay?"

"Right you are." Said Thomas.

"You're really building a Furai Model Star Convoy?!" Said Ichika.

"Hell yeah!" Answered Thomas, giving Ichika a high-five.

"I don't understand." Said Cecelia, "What's...'Star Convoy?'"

"Star Convoy's a variation of Optimus Prime from the _Transformers_ franchise." Explained Ichika.

"I was building this suit for the convention coming up."

"Wait! That's not gonna be for several months!" Realized Ichika, "Why start now?"

"Because I thought we agreed we're not just doing on cosplay this time. We need to prepare in advance."

"Oh yeah..."

"Speaking of which," Said Thomas, "How's your Part 4 Jotaro cosplay coming along?"

"Still need to order the Star Platinum stuff..."

"What other things will you be dressing up as?"

"Um...Lessee...Part 4 Jotaro...Gundam Unicorn...and...I'll decide on the last one later. How about you?"

"Star Convoy, Part 3 Joseph, Arkham Knight, and a few more."

"The convention's only for 3 days, you're really doing more than 3 cosplays?"

"**Yes.**"

"Just hold on a minute!" Said Cecelia, "What do you mean? Conventions and cosplay?"

"People get together and dress up in decent-looking costumes and go around and buy merchandise and stuff. They all take pictures, meet n' greet, and let out their nerdy sides and stuff like that."

"I see...Well, if Ichika's attending, _I_ for one would love to see just what occurs in such a place."

"Anyone up for a movie?" Said Ichika, returning to their predicament.

"We can't decide on what to watch!" Complained Lingyin.

"Hm..." Thomas began to think.

Charlotte never watched movies, nor did Laura. Cecelia would most likely be interested in the refined sort of entertainment. Lingyin was straight-up a _Gundam_ fan, that alone was easy enough. Houki's preference was _Samurai Warbots_. What could they watch...?

Thomas then got an idea.

"I have one suggestion you all _might_ enjoy!"

"What is it?"

"Anyone ever see _Robot Knights_?"

* * *

"That...was an experience." Said Cecelia.

They'd just finished watching _Robot Knights_. Charlotte liked it, Houki was fine with it, Lingyin stopped pouting over the loss of the chance to watch _Gundam_, Laura was still trying to wrap her head around everything, but was otherwise entertained.

Thomas checked the time.

"Oh snap," He said, "Almost time for dinner."

"Oh, that's right!" Said Ichika, "We have to go buy groceries!"

"I'll make something special for you!" Said Lingyin.

"That goes for me too!" Joined Houki.

"And I will be glad to do the same!" Agreed Charlotte.

"Of course, I vill be participating zhe effort." Said Laura.

"Well," Cecelia piped up, "I suppose I have no choice! Why don't I just go-?!"

**"Oh no you don't!"** The girls intervened in unison.

* * *

The group all went to the store.

"This reminds me of all the times I used to go to the market with my Mama." Reminisced Charlotte.

Thomas would've said something, but was currently missing from the rest of the group.

"Dammit..." Muttered Ichika, "Not again..."

"Did that idiot seriously get lost?! I thought he grew out of that!" Snapped Lingyin.

"Hm? What do you mean?" Said Cecelia.

"When we were kids, Thomas had a habit of...Getting very lost very easily."

"Oh my! He certainly is one of a kind!"

"Damn straight." Said Thomas.

The group all yelped at Thomas's magical reappearance.

In his arms, he held shredded mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, pepperoni slices, seasoning, a bag of Reese's, a pack of Twix, four six-packs of Doctor Pepper, a few tubs of ice cream, and dough.

"What's with all that?" Asked Ichika.

"Well, since everyone's doing a dish," Concluded Thomas, "I decided it'd be best to make something everyone can have, plus dessert. That, and I'm going to get hungry while working on Star Convoy later."

"Smart thinking!" Complimented Ichika.

"I took cooking drills back when I vas in zhe military," Said Laura as she picked up a potato to judge it, "I vill show you vhat I have learned I have learned from my instructor."

Lingyin was babysitting Cecelia, in the hopes that the heiress wouldn't do something that would get them all kicked from the store.

"I still don't understand why _I_ don't get to cook anything! I want to show my skills so that England can be fairly represented as well!"

"I don't think you representing England is going to go over well with the people of England."

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?!"

Ichika had Houki had paired up.

"You really haven't visited your Family Shrine yet?"

"No, I haven't. But I was already thinking about visiting even before Chifuyu brought it up earlier."

"That's great." Said Ichika, "I'm sure your Aunt Yukiko will be glad to see you."

Houki smiled and nodded.

"Ichika! Heeelp!" Cried Lingyin.

The pair looked forward only to find Charlotte and Lingyin desperately attempting to restrain Cecelia from doing something that wouldn't end well for any of them."

"Aww...The Hell're they on about now?" Asked Ichika as he brought the shopping cart over.

Houki couldn't help but smile as she watched.

"I will cook for you Ichika, AND EAT IT!" Cried Cecelia, "AND YOU WILL LIKE IT!"

Thomas, who was watching from the drinks machine as he purchased a soda can, was split in decisions. On one hand, He was terrified and knew from personal experience to be wary of Cecelia's cooking. On the other hand, he was really quite curious just how Cecelia actually cooked.

_"On the other hand..."_ Thought Thomas, _"Wait, shit...I'm out of hands."_

* * *

The group returned from the store and quickly began to work on their dishes.

Lingyin was struggling to peel the potatoes.

"Agh, dammit! This potato is so hard to cut. And _you_ picked the wrong kind!"

"You insult me vith your ignorance!" Returned Laura, "Back vhen I vas in Germany, I vas zhe best in my unit vhen it came to picking zhe right potatoes!" She boldly declared as she split a potato in two with her combat knife.

"Uh...Guys?" Said Houki.

"Hm?" Said Ichika.

"Are we going to let her continue with that...?"

Cecelia had gotten her hands on kitchen equipment and ingredients.

Thomas took notice, and made a mental note to pray if he survived.

From the looks of it, Cecelia had somehow managed to create what appeared to be an almost-edible version of bubbling magma. And she didn't stop to examine her own creation, but instead began to work at the speed of a madman.

"It definitely needs a great deal more red...much more!" Cecelia said as she emptied an entire bottle of ketchup, and two bottle of hot sauce into the mixture.

Ichika gulped.

"I think...that ship has already sailed." He whimpered.

"Cecelia," Charlotte intervened, "I think it would be a _really_ good idea if you _didn't_ do any more cooking!"

"I simply cannot _bear_ the idea of doing nothing while everyone else around me is working so hard!"

The pot began to glow as Cecelia turned from wayward chef to a witch brewing a potion.

"But you needn't worry," She said with a smile, "cooking starts with a few small defeats, but I usually win the war."

"Cooking's not a martial art!"

Thomas had yet to actually start cooking. The dish he planned on making required much more open space, so he decided to let everyone else cook before he actually got started, it was simply easier that way.

Thomas was offloading most of the haul, putting non-essential things in the fridge and freezer, putting the packs of Doctor Pepper, Twix, and Reese's in the mini-fridge in his room, and returned to the kitchen.

It only took him 30 seconds.

The moment he entered the kitchen, he was greeted with an explosion to the face.

30 seconds.

There was absolutely no possible way Cecelia would've been capable of doing literally anything.

He was so wrong.

"Oh, drat!" Cecelia snapped, clearly the culprit.

Cecelia had deployed one of her Optical Drones in order to superheat her dish, and thus make it cook quicker. But, what Cecelia didn't understand was that by heating it with a laser designed for combat doesn't make it an everyday use item.

"You were cooking it with a laser?! That is so irresponsible!" Cried Charlotte.

"Failure is the mother is success!" Defended Cecelia, "Watch me do it perfectly this time! Cecelia Alcott's famous IS Cooking!"

"Well, why d'you think it's famous?" Thomas whispered to himself.

"Don't worry about cooking anymore!" Pleaded Lingyin, "Why don't you go set the table?"

"Yes!" Agreed Charlotte, "That's a good idea!"

"But why?!" Cried the Alcott, "Please explain to me why everyone is attempting to prevent me from cooking?! I simply can't understand it at all!"

Thomas chuckled.

From the looks of things, everyone else was done cooking their dishes.

"Alright alright." He said, "Stand back, and watch a master in his domain."

Everyone all set up their dishes on the table, and all watched eagerly as Thomas prepared.

He washed his hands, pulled out the ingredients, put on a white apron, pulled out his phone and a few bluetooth speakers. He pressed play, and began to work with a sudden grace and style in his movements.

_(Song-Il vento d'oro-Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.)_

Some of the girls giggled a little at Thomas acting like such a dork, even though he knew people were around. Thomas had put the song in his Jojo playlist, including songs from the soundtrack, opening songs, and ending songs. Each time there was a new song, he'd dance a little to the song, but still work diligently.

Thomas pounded the dough, and began to spin it into a large floppy disc, tossing it in the air a few times. When he carefully set down the dough, he took a clean ladle, and evenly spread out tomato sauce in a circle just a few inches short of the edge of the dough. He took the shredded cheese, and began to spread it around the dough with style and technique. As he finished with the cheese, he pulled out the seasoning, and sprinkled it in small amounts.

He decided to do the Salt Bae meme while doing it.

As he finished, he carefully set the dish in the oven to cook, and set the timer.

"Tell the truth," Said Ichika, "Are you making pizza?"

"Yes! I am!" Said Thomas, making an Avdol reference.

* * *

The group had a wonderful dinnertime.

"Always love it when I get to try stuff from around the world." Reflected Thomas.

"Your pizza was the best!" Said Ichika, "Where'd you learn to make pizza like that?"

"There was a guy who owned a Deli Shop back before I moved to Japan," Explained Thomas, "He and I managed to become great friends during the school year, so he eventually taught me a few tricks."

"Really?"

"Yup!"

The girls all decided to stay and help clean up. Since the cleaning was done quickly, the girls had already left for home. Thomas, despite his original plan of continuing work on Star Convoy, was currently too deep in a food coma to act upon his previous plans.

Not that he didn't mind.

Chifuyu was right: He needed to do more group stuff more often. It helped him forget the stress of his missing mother, and sometimes it was just nice to know there were people in the world who seemed to genuinely enjoy his company.

"Speaking of which," He continued, "I should call Louie."

"Is he the deli shop guy?"

"Yeah. I wonder how he's doing...I'll call him tomorrow, I am _way_ too full to do that now."

_"Now that I think about it,"_ Thomas thought, _"I've come a long way already, haven't I?"_

It was in moments like these Thomas found strength to keep going in his darkest hours.

Having friends, people who'd pay undivided attention to him, his big sister-figure, heck, it almost felt like he had a great, big family.

_Almost._

He may have had complications with the start of his summer. But for once, he really didn't mind.

The IS Academy was a complication that he enjoyed.

* * *

Yin sat in the bar. She didn't actually drink, she was simply waiting.

Chifuyu walked up and took the stool next to her.

"How is he?" Said Yin.

"He's doing just fine." Said Chifuyu, "From what I could gather, Thomas and Ichika are going to a convention in a few months."

"I see."

"Y'know," Suggested Chifuyu, "If you're so desperate to see him, you can use the convention as a means of interacting with him without the risk of being caught."

"Good idea." Yin sighed, "It's still so hard to believe. I always wonder what would happen if I were to just walk into Thomas's life. He's grown up without me, I'm scared he won't love me. What if I'll never be able to love him again?"

"Stop worrying so much." Said Chifuyu, "The only way we'll know for sure is if you try. When the time is right and all that. But...It's been so long already and you haven't found her..."

"I'll find her." Said Yin, "And when I do, we'll be a great, happy family again."

"So..."

"That convention you said earlier, want to join me?"

"Only because you'll get too nervous to actually talk to Thomas for once."

"Thanks."

* * *

**A/N: Aw crap! It's almost the end of actual summer for me, and I'm only one chapter into the summer vacation arc! What am I going to do?!**

**I'll figure it out.**

**Anyway, Louie the Deli Shop Owner was just a random thought in my head, and it would help explain Thomas's culinary skills, so I felt it was a win-win scenario.**

**_Downton Abbey_ is a real show, I do not own it.**

**_Gundam Micro_, _Robot Knights,_ and _Samurai Warbots_ are all things I literally came up with on the fly, and are not real, anything that may have any correlation is purely another work, and these are just random thoughts I came up with in 5 seconds. However, I'm willing to do small chapters for those 3, if anyone wants that...**

**_For Honor_ and _Assassin's Creed_ are video games. After watching _Gamer's Little Playground_ on _Youtube_, I made them into movies just because I was messing around, they are video games, not real movies. I do not own either.**

**Star Convoy is indeed real, but the Furai Model Star Convoy is not. The Furai Models are _Transformers_ Figures that have a much more anime-styled appearance in their design.**

**But whom was this "her" that Yin was talking about? You'll get the answer at the end of the summer vacation arc, so stay tuned!**

**Next time: Multiplayer Madness!**

**The girls all visit Ichika for a second time, only to find their love interest stuck in a MMO session with Thomas and Ran Gotanda! Can the boys show off their incredible gaming skills and win the game?**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	10. Combat Butler!

**I'm going to make an apology, I was originally going to make a small series of chapters set to be filler, starting with an MMO Game chapter, but I eventually decide to put those filler chapters on hold, so I can further advance the plot. Eventually, when I reach a writer's block, I'll consider putting up those filler chapters to help pass the time.**

**There's actually a new introduction this chapter, and who it is might surprise you...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**Summer passes by, and everyone enjoys the memories they made.**

**The girls have gotten more acquainted with both Thomas and Ichika, had wonderful little ****adventures, and discovered more about the boys than they thought they would.**

**It's nearing the end of summer, and Laura goes to Ichika with a proposal for Ichika...**

* * *

Ichika laid back in water.

Where was he?

From the looks of it, he was laying in a liquid so reflective, it was like a complete mirror of the sunny sky, with a scarce amount of trees placed randomly.

Why was he here?

Did he die? What happened? What series of events brought Ichika to this strange place?

He didn't remember dying.

The memories began to flow freely back to Ichika as he recollected.

_The enemy's IS evaded the girls with utmost ease._

_Lingyin continued to fire with her Shock Cannons, but was unable to hit the Black Knight._

_Charlotte deployed both PDWs, and quickly assisted Lingyin._

_Laura did her best to do the same._

_Houki laid by Ichika's side, trying to provide power to the Byakushki._

_"Ichika..." She whispered, with tears in her eyes._

Thomas was nowhere in sight.

What happened to him?

Ichika quickly sat up.

He had to find Thomas!

The boy turned around, only to find what appeared to be Thomas, towering over him in his Revive.

Oddly enough, Thomas actually had the Revive's tactical helmet on.

"Thomas-?!"

Suddenly, the Revive sent out a pulse, and the lovely blue sky had began to turn to a purple night.

Thomas's Revive began to change color as well, turning from green to a shadowy black. A dark aura emanated from the now-obscured Thomas, his eyes became to beady crimson dots.

It was Ichika's nightmare.

Without warning, Thomas lashed out at Ichika, wringing him by his neck and effortlessly picking him up with one arm. The boy's grip tightened, which confirmed Ichika's worst fear.

Thomas was now killing him.

**"Don't struggle...It makes me hate you even more."** Thomas's voice had distorted to a raspy, terrifying hiss.

Ichika kicked and fought hard, but was trying to win a losing battle.

Thomas tightened his grip further.

**"You left me behind!"** Thomas snapped, his hiss turning to a hateful emphasis.

"W-What...?" Ichika spat.

**"We were kids! I promised to never leave you behind! But you went and left _ME_ behind! You never included me with everyone else! You all just fucked off and did your own thing! We were friends! They never cared for me like they did for you, and you forgot all about me! In fact, I can fucking _count_ all the times where they forgot I was even there! Do you have _any_ idea what it's like?! Despite being far worse off, always being on the last of everyone's priorities!"**

"I'm...sorry..."

**"SORRY DOESN'T CUT IT!"** Roared Thomas as he brought in his other hand, and further strangled Ichika.

**"I've struggled all my life! Being tormented for dreaming too big, suffering because I never had the comforts of having a whole family! Everyone lied to me! I'm so fucking sick of being left out to dry with no-one else! I'm jealous of you, dammit!"**

"I didn't..."

**"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"**

Ichika struggled.

He fought as hard as he could.

But it was all for naught.

* * *

Ichika's eyes shot open with panic.

What sort of nightmare was that?!

Ichika slowly recollected himself.

Would Thomas really be capable of doing such things in real life, like in that nightmare? Did Thomas really feel that way?

Ichika looked to the window, seeing the bright summer morning. He'd recently gone back to the IS Academy, seeing as summer vacation was nearly over. He and Thomas had fun bunking at the house, but now was the time to get himself back into his routine at school.

Out of nowhere, a girl's leg landed right on his face.

He shoved the leg off, only to have it come back and kick the side of his head.

"What the-?!" Ichika started as he finally sat up.

There was a girl wrapping herself in his blanket.

There was only one girl Ichika knew who'd be willing to do such a thing.

Laura's head raised up on the other side of the bed.

"Ish it morning now?" She yawned.

"Laura?!" Cried Ichika, "You again?!"

Laura giggled mischievously as she stood up, wrapping the blanket around her like a cloak.

"But zis time..."

Laura threw off the blanket, and Ichika covered his eyes before he saw anything.

Ichika slowly opened his eyes to make sure.

"...I'm not naked!"

True enough, Laura was wearing her school-issue swimsuit.

"The heck're you wearing that for?"

"Do you like? My XO gave me the recommendation!" Laura declared as she displayed herself pridefully.

"If I were you, I'd fire that XO..." Muttered Ichika.

Ichika looked to his left, only to find that there was no trace of Thomas in sight.

_"Shoot,"_ Thought Ichika, _"I could really use a hand here..."_

"Now," Said Laura, "I'll share zhe reason I've voken you up zis morning."

She pulled a folded paper out from behind the chest of her swimsuit.

"Look!" She encouraged.

Ichika unfolded the paper, and looked at what Laura was so eager about.

"An End of the Summer Festival? For your dating pleasure?" Muttered Ichika as though he were disinterested.

Laura began to worry.

"Hey wait!" Said Ichika, "Is this at that new waterpark that opened up this year? I've been wanting to go for a while!"

"Really? You really want to go?"

"Yeah!"

"Oh sweet! You can even rent a Yukata at the festival square!"

"I vould love to vhere a Yukata...together vith you~!" Swooned Laura.

"Then let's get the gang together and-?!"

Laura quickly lodged a combat knife into the wall next to Ichika's head.

"Hmph!" Pouted Laura as she marched right out of the room.

"Why'd she get so mad all of the sudden?" Ichika mumbled.

Thomas, who'd just returned to the Academy, and was moving his things back to the room he and Ichika shared, had felt as though he'd just seen everything.

He witnessed Laura stomping out of his room in her swimsuit.

Thomas sighed as he moved aside to let Laura pass, and walked into the room.

"Let me take a wild guess." He said to Ichika, "Laura came to you with a plan for an activity together, and when you wanted to bring everyone along, she stuck the knife in the wall and left."

"Yeah...How'd you know?"

"Believe me," Groaned Thomas, "You won't understand."

Thomas set down a bag.

"Just letting you know now," Explained Thomas, "I'm going to move the Star Convoy stuff into the room soon, so I apologize in advance if it gets a little crowded in here. I want to dust it off as soon as possible."

"Okay, thanks for letting me know."

"Your plans today?"

"I'm gonna go around and get the others, I have an idea for tomorrow!"

"Fine then, I'm gonna take a break and actually look at my Revive's data."

"What for?"

"Something weird happened during the whole Gospel Incident." Said Thomas, "Besides, I think it's best if I actually take a solid look at the data, so I'm not pulling things outta my ass like that fight with Cecelia and Laura. Which reminds me...still gotta get that rematch..."

Thomas had begun to rummage through his haul as he started unpacking.

Ichika put on his uniform, and set out for the day.

* * *

Thomas had just finished putting away his clothes before he sat down on his bed.

Time to start reviewing that data.

Thomas clasped the Revive pendant hanging from his neck.

He then pulled up a holographic screen, with a dossier of his Revive.

He decided to start with the different Shifts.

Thomas briefly scrolled the list, finding names that quickly snatched his interest.

He found labels such as: The Pursuit Shift, the Compact Shift, the EVA Shift, the Stealth Shift, and the Close-Quarters Shift.

So far, those were the names he actually read.

What if he decided to try them out?

Thomas smirked. There'd be no way he'd be able to deploy his IS in the dorms without breaking things. The arena itself was too far away for Thomas to feel motivated to actually go there and test out his Shifts.

Thomas opened the door to the room's balcony.

He could test out the Shifts on the way to the arena.

Thomas climbed over the railing, and jumped off.

"Deploy! Compact Shift!" He said.

Suddenly, his Revive deployed. However, instead of the default 1st Shift, the Revive that Thomas received was far smaller than the actual, full-sized Unit. Thomas flew up to the roof of the dorm rooms, and examined his Unit.

It was no bigger than an average _Iron Man_ suit.

"Sweet!" He said to himself.

The Compact Shift was designed to increase agility, reduce the risk of being targeted, and allow for the pilot to more in much more enclosed spaces. Although this meant that some of the weapons were locked, due to the Unit's small size being unable to deploy such a large device.

Thomas launched, and flew for the arena.

"Pursuit Shift!"

The IS changed once again. This time, the Unit shifted back to it's large size, but unlike the Default Shift, there were more thrusters built onto the IS frame. The wings were gone, replaced with three thrusters and two missile racks on the back. There were two smaller thrusters around Thomas's midsection.

The Pursuit Shift, despite the notion that it was similar to the Hypervelocity Shift, was actually very different. The Pursuit Shift was designed so the Unit had more maneuverability control, and was built to chase down targets. The extra thrusters were added for quick movements, such as dodging.

Thomas chuckled, it reminded him of the Batmobile from _Batman: Arkham Knight_.

Thomas noticed that the Pursuit Shift was also designed to move faster over time, allowing for quicker travel in a straight line. But now that he'd started experimenting with Unit, what could he do to prove what the Unit was capable of?

He then noticed a white car, Ichika, and Cecelia.

Thomas grinned from ear-to-ear.

He knew _exactly_ what he was going to do.

* * *

"Ichika darling! How wonderful to see you!" Cecelia greeted.

She imagined the reason why Ichika would come all the way from his dorm just to greet her upon her return.

_Ichika held a bouquet of lovely roses._

_"Cecelia! My love!" He cried out in joy, "I just couldn't sit still, waiting for you to return to me!"_

_He then embraced Cecelia, and quickly began to play with her._

_"No Ichika, please!" Cecelia pleaded happily, "We can't do that here!"_

"Cecelia? Cecelia?" Ichika waved his hand over her face to get the heiress's attention.

"Everything okay?"

"I'm splendid! Just a bit dizzy, no need to get frantic."

"Well alright then." Ichika said.

He pulled out a paper.

"By the way," He asked, "Would you like to go here with me tomorrow?"

Cecelia took the paper and looked over carefully.

"Oh my word!" She cheered, "You're asking me out? Of course, darling! I, Cecelia, Alcott, will make all the necessary preparations!"

Thomas was in the Compact Shift, hiding in the bushes nearby, watching the entire scene.

He was doing his best not to laugh, knowing full well the truth of the situation.

Thomas knew he was going to die of laughter tomorrow.

* * *

Thomas decided to move on, and go to the cafeteria.

He picked up a bowl of ramen, as a light snack, and came across Laura and Charlotte.

He quickly noticed Laura's face. She was distracted, most likely a little sad about her attempt early that morning. Charlotte smiled and waved to Thomas, he waved back, and Charlotte scoot further into the booth, allowing Thomas a space to sit down.

"You look down, what's eatin' at you?" Said Thomas, and he sat down at the booth.

"Nothing." Said Laura.

Thomas gave her a blank stare, knowing she was lying.

"Oh! I have an idea!" Suggested Charlotte, "How about we go buy some new clothes if either of you have time today?"

Thomas turned.

"Never expected you inviting me on a shopping trip."

"Well, you're here, no? Might as well."

"Vhat are you talking about?" Said Laura, confused, "The German Military provides me vith all of my clothes."

"But Laura," Corrected Charlotte, "That's just a military uniform! Summer is almost over, why not come along?"

"Vell," Said Laura, "I suppose you're right."

"Great! How about we leave around 10?"

"O-okay then..." Muttered Laura, realizing what she'd agreed to.

Thomas, considering the pros and cons of coming along, decided to finish his bowl quickly. He took the bowl and drank the ramen, broth, contents, noodles and all straight down.

In the process, he both amazed and disgusted the girls.

* * *

"Vhat do you think?! Zhis is my Going-Out attire!" Presented Laura with pride.

Laura simply changed from her military uniform, to her school uniform.

The only difference to Thomas was the color.

"That's just your school uniform!" Teased Charlotte.

The trio then heard a group of girls talking amongst themselves.

"Did you hear the rumor? The one about the crepe stand at the seaside park?"

"Yeah! I heard if you eat a mixed berries crepe with your crush, you'll fall in love with them!"

"Same! But I heard they're always sold out..."

Thomas shrugged off the rumor, Charlotte and Laura listened intently.

Thomas took notice.

_"Heh, young and impressionable. Bunch a' lovable idiots." _Thought Thomas.

The train arrived, and Thomas had to usher Charlotte and Laura into the train car to make sure they didn't miss the train.

_A few minutes later on the train..._

Thomas had plugged in his earbuds, and began to listen to his Jojo playlist.

Currently, he was bopping his head to _Great Days_.

Had the young boy been paying more attention, he would've taken a trip down memory lane.

There was another passenger with them in the same train car. She had snow white hair tied into a long ponytail. She had big, lovely crimson eyes. She was sitting in the corner of the train car, sneaking glances at Thomas, unbeknownst to the girls.

Thomas barely noticed her out of the corner of his eye.

He would've gone to her. Asked her the one question, _"Are you my mother?"_

But he didn't.

Thomas, despite the burning desire to find his mother's face, refused to let the urge consume him.

Besides, he'd never gotten close before...

...What if he was wrong?

Thomas's urge to talk to the stranger kept building, however.

This chance was one in a million. The similarities were just uncanny.

He gave in.

Thomas paused his music, pulled out his earbuds, and put them away. He stood up, and went to the end of the train car, and sat down in front of the woman. Laura and Charlotte were both confused by Thomas's sudden shift in behavior.

"Pardon me," Said Thomas, "It's just...you remind me of this one woman I saw once."

"Hm?! Oh, I see." Said the woman.

Thomas got a better look at the woman.

Judging by her looks, she was no older than early twenties. Thomas remembered that dream vividly, and memorized his concept of his mother to the exact detail. However, there were a few facial differences between this woman and that image.

"Sorry," He apologized, "I'm probably pretty weird right now."

"It's fine! Absolutely fine!" Said the woman.

"You work at the IS Academy?"

"No, I was just visiting a family member."

"How are they?"

"Looks to me like they've grown a lot since I last saw them. And that was a few weeks ago!"

"Wow, she must be incredible then."

"Yeah...'she' is."

Thomas quickly caught onto the pause.

The woman wasn't telling him something.

"So...What's your name, miss?"

"I'm Kana. I'm so happy I finally got to meet you!"

"...Why?"

"Well, I mean, you look like you're one of the two boys who can pilot an IS! I always knew that they'd look so cute, but you're simply adorable!"

"I've gotten that a lot. Alongside being called 'Muscular Tedddy Bear.'"

"Really?!"

"Yeah."

"Um...I know this may seem weird..."

"What?"

"Can I shake your hand?"

"Sure..."

Thomas shook hands with Kana. Kana absolutely enjoyed herself, as though she was getting...a little aroused. Laura and Charlotte watched quietly, interested, confused, and a little off-put.

It seemed as though Kana was swooning over Thomas giving her the time of day.

When the trio reached their destination, Kana waved them off profusely.

Thomas had a very bad gut feeling.

He only hoped that was the last time he'd have that.

* * *

The trio went all the way to a shopping mall.

Currently, Thomas accompanied Charlotte and Laura to a female clothing store.

Thomas didn't see anything wrong with it.

And yet, he kept receiving stares as he was in the store.

"Is he a pervert?"

"I don't think so, he looks like a cutie."

"Maybe he's one of those cute guys who gets lost?"

"Knock it off! He's probably just helping the platinum and the blonde."

"Oh my," Said a clerk, "a platinum and a blonde...I mean, would you like to try on some items from our newest collection?"

The clerk gestured to some of the items on display.

"Looks a little scanty to me, your thoughts, Charlotte?" Said Thomas.

"_Oui_," Agreed Charlotte, "It looks so thin you can see what's underneath. Laura, what do you think?"

"Vell, I..."

Laura was fumbling for words.

Charlotte and the clerk were grabbing pieces off the racks, Thomas was looking them over and nodding his head in approval for each piece. As Laura turned her attention inward, she didn't notice what the others were up to.

She turned around, and saw the clerk and Charlotte with clothes in hand.

"Try these on!" Encouraged Charlotte.

"I...think it vould be a bother..."

"You don't have a choice in the matter!" Thomas said with a terrifyingly gleeful expression.

Laura pouted, knowing she was trapped, and gave in.

She went into the changing stall.

After a few minutes, she popped her head out.

"Well?" Said Charlotte, "Did you try it on?"

"I..." Mumbled Laura, her face covered in blush, "I'd like to vear something...cuter."

Laura and Thomas looked to each other, and perked up with mischievous grins.

_Minutes later..._

Laura opened the curtain to the dressing stall.

She wore a very cute black dress, with a short skirt and white frills as a trim.

"_Perfecto_..." Judged Thomas.

"_Oui_! How lovely!" Agreed Charlotte, as she pulled out a shoebox, "And now for the icing on the cake!"

Inside were a pair of high heels that matched the dress.

"Shoes as vell? You've zhought of everything..." Marveled Laura.

"Try them on!" Urged Charlotte.

Laura carefully put on the high heels. She wasn't used to wearing such apparel. Although she certainly felt taller, she nearly immediately fell over while standing still. Her balance was reduced greatly by wearing the high heels.

Thomas could she her legs tremble as she tried to stand straight.

Laura took her first step in high heels...

...Only to have her legs instantly buckle, and cause her to fall.

Thomas moved without thinking, almost as though he was faster than time itself. As Laura stumbled forward, Thomas quickly caught her by her arms, providing ample support for Laura to safely fall on her knees, and regain stability.

"Well," Reconsidered Thomas, "High heels actually shorten the Achilles Tendons, so it's best if we practice a little before you go running around. For now, a good tip would be to find the flat of the shoes, and try to land each step on the flat."

Thomas helped Laura to her feet.

Other patrons watched from a distance. They didn't see Thomas just doing something nice. To them, Thomas was aglow, like a bright sun. He seemed so kind and cute, and yet he still had a hint of masculinity about him.

What they saw was a humble prince helping a maiden in a time of need.

At least, they envisioned it.

Thomas looked to his right, only to find the flashes of cameras.

Ichika was _definitely_ not going to let him live this one down.

"We should go." Suggested Thomas.

"_Oui_! Let's...take a look at some men's clothing stores!"

"_Jah Whol_." Mumbled Laura.

* * *

The trio ended up agreeing on a maid cafe.

Laura changed back to her school uniform.

"So," Asked Charlotte, "Why did you change back you to your uniform?"

"Zat ish because I didn't...vant to get it dirty."

"Or you just want Ichika to be the first to see you wear it?"

"_Nein_! Zat ish not true!" Laura cried defensively, standing up from her chair.

"Um...Excuse me?"

The trio turned to see whom Thomas quickly deduced as the manager.

"Could I interest you three in a part-time job here?"

_Minutes later..._

Charlotte and Laura put on french maid outfits.

Thomas put on a butler outfit.

"Dang," He marveled, "I look sick!"

"You look like a super-cute butler!" Complimented the manager, "You look even cuter than the rest of the butlers here!"

Laura and Charlotte had already gotten to work.

Thomas straightened his collar, and breathed.

He was going to ace this.

Thomas greeted a group of four young women.

"I bid you all welcome," He spoke in his best "elegant British butler" voice, "Please, take your seats, I will serve you posthaste."

"I-I'll have the Tea!" Stuttered one woman.

"Of course, milady."

"I'll have a slice of the Banana-Cream Pie!"

"Excellent selection, mistress."

"I'll take the Coffee!"

"Right away, miss."

"And I'll...I think I'll just have the Dark Chocolate Pie."

"Lovely, madam."

Thomas quickly set about his task. He took two trays, one with the pie slices, and another with the coffee and tea. He diligently returned to the table, and prepared to dazzle and amaze the women.

"Do forgive me," He apologized, "But who was it that commissioned for tea?"

"M-Me!" Piped up the lady.

Thomas set down the trays, handed the two ladies their pies, and prepared the tea set for the first woman's order.

He moved with grace and ease, his hands seemed so light, moving quickly, and yet not making a single mistake. He'd almost instantly enraptured the group's audience. He took a teaspoon of sugar, no more and no less.

"And now, I'll cast a spell upon this unction to make it even more enjoyable."

He held his hands a few inches above the teacup.

"_Fieri dalectamentum_..._Fieri delectamentum_..." He recited.

He then gently placed the teacup in the woman's hands, making her heart race.

"So...Handsome..." She was at a loss for words.

"Do not think I was careless enough to forget the coffee." He reminded.

"Oh, right! You have to serve me as well! Don't leave me out of this!"

"I never did, miss."

Thomas did the same process as he did with the tea, winning over the hearts of the women without so much as a quarrel.

Laura and Charlotte simply stared from behind the counter.

"He seems so different..."

"_Jah_..."

"They seem to love him."

"Hmph! He ish not my preference, but he does have a charm zat Ichika sorely lacks."

"And don't ever forget." Reminded Thomas, "If you ever need me, know that I will race to you side at the beck and call."

"Thank you so much!" The group said in cheerful unison.

Thomas had made his way back to the counter, and let out a sigh.

"That just happened." He mumbled.

"That was lovely!" Complimented the manager.

"Well, this is a nice change of pace from schoolwork." He said.

"What school do you go to-!"

The door of the cafe bust open.

All Thomas saw was a group of masked and armed men pile in, and fire two shots in the air.

"Nobody move!"

The patrons all screamed, but the waving of guns shut them up quickly.

"Shut up!"

Thomas's mind moved faster than a computer, and analyzed the situation.

Three men in front. They had random pieces of clothing on. They wore ski masks. They weren't wearing gloves. They're clothes weren't uniform, being random jackets that anyone could purchase at a store. They most likely bought the masks at a gas station.

They were operating on a short budget. They were street punks.

Most likely, they were poor and wanted money.

Not having gloves made anything they touched traceable to them.

They were all armed. Thomas quickly deduced the weaponry to be street legal, available for purchase in gun stores. The majority only had small-arms, being pistols and smgs. Only one of them had an M16.

One way, they'd managed to purchase the firearms from stores. Another way, they'd gotten their hands on weaponry distributed by dealers.

They'd most likely purchased the guns on impulse for their current heist.

Each of them had a tote bag full of cash. Seeing as they actually held onto the tote bags, it was safe to assume they'd disabled the dye packs as they robbed the location, most likely a bank.

The tote bags themselves were a dead giveaway.

They were in a hurry; a standard smash-and-grab. They'd only had time to fill one bag each. Their heist went awry, seeing as a few tote bags of money was easily a bare minimum in a bank robbery.

They were wearing jackets.

Most likely, they weren't just trying to further conceal identity. Had they cared about getting away without being identified, they would've worn gloves to reduce risk of being identified with fingerprints. A far more likely answer was that they were carrying further equipment in the jackets.

Possible accessories were: burner phones-if they were working for someone else. There was also the possibilities of extra weaponry in case of an emergency in a worst-case scenario.

They'd broken into the maid cafe, making a hostage situation. Most likely, they were too dumb to figure out an escape route. They'd took the money, and started running without a real plan. The police had caught up, and the crooks were near the maid cafe. Attempting to bide for time, they broke into the cafe and took it hostage in order to lock down and think of a way to escape. There was no way a handful of them would be able to fend off the cops, and needed time for an answer.

Now that Thomas had deduced they were just common crooks, rather than actual professionals, he knew just how to deal with the situation.

The police had arrived outside.

There were sirens, and the squealing of tires. Although, the continuous sounds revealed the truth. Most likely, the heist crew had warranted enough of a response.

Thomas couldn't just beat them down.

He had to strike surgically due to this development.

"_Give up!_" The police boomed, "_We have you surrounded!_"

One of the criminals shot down a window.

"If you want the hostages without any trouble," Announced the crook, "Then bring us a car and an escape route! And don't even think about putting in a tracking device, or trying to follow us!"

The crook with the M16 went to the window, and opened fire upon to police.

Thomas could see the gun had managed to shoot holes through a patrol car.

He now knew everything.

The crooks had gotten their firearms from illegal dealers. The M16 must've had armor-piercing bullets, seeing as it broke through the patrol car's outer plating.

The situation had just gotten worse.

However, seeing as the crook with the rifle opened fire, it was fair to assume the other crooks didn't have powerful guns.

Most likely, they had regular ammo.

Perfect.

He wouldn't have to do anything _too_ rash.

"Hey you!" Snapped a crook, "Maid with the silver hair! I'm thirsty, bring me a menu!"

Laura glared at the man, but Thomas stepped in front of Laura.

"Milady, worry not." He said, as though this wasn't a life-or-death situation, "I will deal with these...uncivilized amateurs, do take a moment's rest..."

He glared right through the gunman.

"...And watch how well this butler serves his patrons."

"The hell're you babbling about, prick?! Get outta the way, you dumb shit!"

"Is that what I am to you?" Thomas spoke calmly, internally laughing at what was about to happen.

"Damn straight! _I'm_ the one holding the gun, so get the fuck out of the way-"

The crook snatched one of the ladies that Thomas served minutes ago. The crook wrapped his free hand around the girl in a headlock, and trained his pistol at her head.

"-Or she's dead!"

Thomas closed his eyes and sighed, exhausted.

"If that's how you wish to be, then I apologize-!"

"You better! Now bring out the maids!"

Thomas opened his eyes with a bigger glare.

"I. Wasn't. Finished. Talking." Thomas's voice had changed from his butler voice to his natural.

"Oh really?" The gunman smirked, like a bully mistreating a victim.

"You see...I _was_ planning on resolving this without hurting anyone...But now?"

He threatened the heist crew ever so casually.

"Now I'm going to hurt you in ways the Devil would disapprove of."

"Is that so?!" Laughed the crooks.

Taking distance and position into account, Thomas had less than a millisecond to act if the gunman decided to shoot him.

The odds were very much against him.

However, Thomas smirked, and put his hands in his pockets, and laughed.

"What's the joke?" Said the crook, offset by Thomas's unconventional deed.

"You."

Thomas's laughter slowed to a chuckle.

"You are the joke. And the joke is you."

The gunman threw the woman aside, and trained the gun at Thomas's face.

Point-blank range.

"Y'see...This entire time, you're not holding back..."

Thomas sprang into action, almost faster than the eye could see.

"...And I HAVE!"

Thomas threw his hands out of his pockets, spraying salt and sugar into the gunman's eyes.

The gunman pulled the trigger.

Thomas narrowly made an upward block, and knocked the barrel of the gun away from his head just before the bullet launched.

And Thomas then proceeded in defeating the entire heist crew.

He grabbed the crook's wrist, and brought it down on his shoulder, nearly breaking the man's arm in the process. He then spun around counter-clockwise to the man's back, delivering a jab with his fingertips to the man's neck, he grabbed the arm once more, and brought it down on his other shoulder. This time, he forced the man to drop his pistol, which he grabbed before it hit the ground.

He then spun around clockwise, delivering a pistol-whip to the man's nose.

"Don't try bein' a hero with us, dumbass!" Snapped the second crook, training it at Thomas.

Thomas then pulled up the pistol, and fired.

The bullet struck the barrel of the pistol, causing the slide to blow to pieces, nearly making the gun itself explode in the man's hand. The pistol was now utterly useless, seeing as Thomas had just shot through one of the important components.

Thomas would've fired at an angle to make the latter happen, but wanted to resolve the conflict without making too much of a mess.

What no-one else noticed as the criminals entered beforehand, the moment Thomas saw them, he secretly began to turn the contents of the room into strategically placed advantages before he intervened.

He then raced up, and made a diagonal spin. as he spun, he brought his heel down upon the pressure point on the crook's neck.

The crook dropped to the floor like a bag sand.

Halfway done.

The third crook brought up his pistol...

...Only to receive a tray to the face, courtesy of Thomas.

The gunman stumbled back to regain his bearings.

Once he did, he panicked.

Thomas was nowhere to be seen.

The crook waved his gun in all directions, sweating profusely in terror.

"Where the hell are ya, huh?! Come out! Or one the hostages die!"

"Right behind you."

The crook spun around, only to receive a blow to his left leg, forcing him to take a knee in pain. Thomas then shoved the older man to the floor, ready to give the criminals a little scare for the minor inconvenience they put him through.

Thomas stomped hard on the man's chest, aiming his gun at the crook's head.

"Give up. Or..."

Thomas moved his gun away from the crook's head to his right hand.

"...I'll start with your fingers. I'm asking nicely."

"Okay okay! You win!" Cried the man.

"You're too kind." Growled Thomas, right before delivering a knee to the man's chest, effectively knocking him out cold.

The fourth criminal was currently hiding behind a pillar, waiting to strike Thomas down.

Thomas turned his back, and sighed.

The crook leapt out from behind the pillar, and rushed Thomas.

Without warning, Thomas spun around, grabbed the man with both hands, and threw him over his shoulder...

...And out the open window.

The crook screamed as he crashed right on the hood of a police car.

"Damn..." Thomas muttered to himself.

If Chifuyu found out, he was dead for sure, since he was still in trouble for disobeying orders and totaling a Training IS.

The patrons all came out, relieved.

"We're saved!"

"My hero!"

"Thank you, Mr. Butler!"

"Can I get a picture?"

"So cute!"

To the patrons, Thomas was not only a dreamy butler that every woman would love to have, but he was also a true gentleman that would be their champion. He, despite being a butler, was like a lovely prince, who'd stand alongside knights in shining armor to rescue a lovely maiden.

The manager secretly took a picture of Thomas when he wasn't paying attention. He may have only worked for less than a few hours, but he was certainly going on the wall of fame at the maid cafe.

Laura and Charlotte came up to Thomas.

"Good vork." Congratulated Laura.

"We should go," Suggested Charlotte, "If they find out we're Representative Candidates at the IS Academy, we'll get in trouble."

"No argument here." Said Thomas, "This little episode gets to Chifuyu, I'd be dead in a heartbeat."

"Correct. Ve vill go now." Said Laura.

The trio turned to change out of their uniforms.

Thomas realized he wasn't as thorough as he thought.

One of the crooks got to his feet.

"I ain't going to prison! You'll never take me alive! I'd rather blow it all up than get caught!"

The crook threw open his jacket, confirming another one of Thomas's assumptions.

He had a bomb vest wired on the inside of the jacket and on a vest. There were two detonators on the coat, and six beige bricks on the vest. The bomb must've been homemade, meaning it was easier to disarm. The bricks were most likely plastic explosives, or containers of nitro glycerin. There were three bundles of cables connecting three bricks to both detonators.

The patrons screamed.

Thomas acted.

There were currently two metal trays, one of either side of the bomber. Judging from the visible depth of either tray, Thomas could use them to help disarm the detonators before the crook could touch them.

Thomas, who still held the gun in his left hand, fired to the tray on his right.

He'd angled the shot to reflect off the tray, and hit the detonator on the crook's right.

He then spun counter-clockwise, shooting the left tray from the hip to hit the crook's left detonator.

The devices fizzled the moment the criminal pressed them.

Nothing happened.

Thomas had shot through the detonators' circuitry, rendering them useless.

The crook fell to his knees in defeat.

Thomas grabbed his own gun with both hands, and ripped off the slide, disarming the gun.

He then stomped down on the rest of the firearms, destroying them.

"Most uncivilized..." He muttered, adjusting his collar and returning to his butler voice.

He turned to the patrons.

"I must apologize," He said, "Seeing as I've caused such a ruckus, I fear that it is time I took my leave. Despite how short I was allowed to spend time with you, know that I'll cherish every moment of it."

"Wait! You can't go!"

"Don't leave us!"

"You're so cute, don't leave now!"

"Will we ever see you again?"

"Within the realm of your dreams, milady."

"So...dreamy..."

"And now, I must bid to you all: _Adieu_, _adieu_, farewell."

With that, Laura, Thomas, and Charlotte began to leave.

"Wait!" Called the manager.

She raced up to Thomas.

"Whenever you're in town," She offered, "Remember you're always welcome here. I'll give you a discount when you come as a customer!"

"A gift I take with me most lovingly, good bye."

"So long!"

"We'll miss you!"

"Stay cute forever!"

The trio had snatched their clothes, and left the scene before the police stormed the building.

* * *

After Laura and Charlotte insisted endlessly, Thomas agreed to tag along to the crepe stand at the seaside park.

"Not gonna lie," He said, "I never actually had crepes before."

"I'm more interested in you're butler persona!" Said Charlotte.

"That? Oh, I just did what felt natural...Well...that and think about poses from fashion magazines."

"Really?"

"Pretty much."

"You make a _wunderbar_ butler."

"I guess so."

"And how were you able to pull all of that off? Fighting those criminals?"

"I planned ahead. I'd laid several countermeasures around while no-one noticed."

"I see..."

"Anyway, enough about all that, I wanna try a crepe for once!"

The three walked up to the crepe stand.

"Can we have three crepes with mixed berries?" Charlotte asked.

"Oh, sorry." Apologized the vendor, "We're all out of mixed berry crepes! That's a bummer."

"Oh, I see..." Said Charlotte.

Laura gasped, as though she'd just realized something.

"What's up?" Asked Thomas.

"May I have a crepe vith strawberries and blueberries?"

"Sure!" Said the vendor.

"I'll just take a plain crepe, nothing fancy. Not yet, at least." Said Thomas.

"Ah, I see you're looking to try your options, coming right up!"

"I will have the same as her." Said Charlotte.

"Gotcha!"

The three sat down on a bench, and ate their crepes as they became satisfied with their adventure that day.

"_Wunderbar_!" Cheered Laura.

"_Magnifique_!" Swooned Charlotte.

"Maybe I should've gotten the banana...Eh, this'll do." Said Thomas.

"I think that today was a fun day!" Said Charlotte.

Thomas slowly inhaled and exhaled, tired yet content.

"I feel a little happy the manager let me keep the butler uniform...love long coats." He muttered.

"Why ish zhat?"

"Because I can look epic with my coat bellowing heroically in the wind."

"How ish your crepe?"

"It's nice."

"I like mine."

"Y'know..." Started Thomas.

"Vhat?"

"Never mind, it's nothing. Anyway, let's wrap this up, put a bow on it, and start heading home.

"_Jah_..."

"Okay then..."

* * *

The three of them were home just before nightfall.

Charlotte and Laura went to their room, and Thomas took his haul back to his.

Thomas then fell back and laid back in his bed, and sighed.

"I should do that more often...Come to think of it, there's a lot of stuff I should do more often."

He yawned.

Today really wiped him out.

Ichika then entered the room.

"Oh, hey Thomas! I've been looking for you all day!"

"What's up?"

Ichika pulled out the flyer for the waterpark.

"You wanna come with everyone here tomorrow?"

Thomas paused.

"Eh, sure. Why not?"

Thomas knew for a fact he was going to had a fun time tomorrow, the last day of summer vacation.

"Let's get to bed."

"A bit early for that, but okay then." Said Ichika.

The boys set about preparing to sleep the night away.

There so much that would happen tomorrow, Thomas knew that for a fact.

But he didn't know he'd be in danger.

* * *

**A/N: Done! For those of you who wanted a few filler chapters, sorry. However, I did introduce a new character, Kana. It may not seem that way now, but she has quite the role to play in the near future...**

**I never expected to make another chapter so soon, after the last chapter took a lot longer to come out.**

**I've been trying to map out the next few chapters, and I'm trying to introduce another male oc sometime soon, but I don't know who I want to introduce first!**

**I just wanted to say, thanks to everyone who supported this story, I'm really happy you like it!**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	11. Best Summer Ever

**Since I keep getting so much reception on American Idiot, I'll make it my priority story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**It's the last day of summer vacation.**

**Ichika decides to round up the gang to go to the water park to celebrate.**

**However, what he doesn't realize that by doing so, he misled the girls into thinking he was asking each of them out on a date! Thomas decides to tag along, just to watch how the mishap unfolds.**

**But when he least expects it, Thomas may be in grave danger...**

* * *

_The night before..._

The alarms went off.

"Intruder in Area 6-D! Intercept and capture!"

M strolled her way down the hall, without so much as a care to the world around her.

"_M. Can you hear me?_" Radioed her handler.

"Mhm." She replied.

"_Good. I'll tell you now that we've outfitted your body with supervisory nanomachines. That way, you can carry out your mission there as ordered. You will complete the mission, or else._"

"There she is!" Cried one guard, giving away his position.

"Oh great..." Groaned M as she engaged.

The guard opened fire, but M moved too fast for the guard to hit her. She jumped, rolled, and dashed all over the hallway, as though she was taunting the guards for their futile efforts in stopping her.

She then began to crush them underfoot.

M jumped into the air, and brought out twin heavy-caliber pistols. As she descended, she opened fire upon one of the guards, shooting him four time in the legs, making him fall to the floor in pain.

She'd struck a second guard in his hips and shoulders, causing him to drop unconscious.

She then advanced over to two more guards.

She shot the third in the feet, disarmed him, and promptly delivered a knockout.

"Can't kill me yet?" She sneered, "Pathetic!"

She sent a powerful kick to the last guard's neck, and sent him to the floor without so much as a struggle.

"_Good girl, M._" Cooed the handler, "_Now, finish your task quickly, and don't do anything irrelevant to the mission._"

M's pause gave time for several IS Pilots to converge on her position.

She simply stared, disinterested.

"Surrender!" Snapped a Pilot, "What're you after here?"

M gave the Pilot a twisted smile. She then raised her arms outwards, as twin lights burst from her palms.

"Don't try anything stupid!" Ordered a second Pilot.

M finally explained herself.

"There's an IS that's been in lockup in this facility..."

She looked her foes in the eye.

"...It's _mine_."

"Huh?"

**"DEPLOY!"**

M was enveloped in a massive, blinding light.

The light dissipated, and M was replaced with a very unique IS Unit.

"That's...That's Silent Zephyrus!"

M deployed the Silent Zephyrus's main weapon, and quickly scanned the situation.

"Could it be the Phantom Task?!" Cried a third Pilot.

M smiled, and opened fire.

The Pilots never stood a chance.

* * *

_That morning..._

Houki strolled down to the gate of the IS Academy's campus.

She was humming a little, with a spring in her step.

"I'm impressed." She said to herself, "Never thought Ichika would so bold in asking me out."

Houki smiled happily that she'd get a date with Ichika.

That is, until she'd reached the gate.

One by one, Houki began to see the other girls standing side-by-side.

They did not look happy.

Houki was starting to realize just what Ichika had invited her to.

Dammit, Ichika.

Then again, she really should've seen this coming.

"Hey!" Called the boy in question.

The group all turned sharply to see Ichika running up to greet them. Thomas was following at a moderate walking pace.

"Sorry we're late!"

The girls griped with anger, and began to shout at Ichika as Thomas gradually caught up.

"You absolute idiot!" Shouted Lingyin.

"I feel so stupid for coming here with such high hopes!" Cried Cecelia.

"How could you toy with the hearts of women so freely?!" Accused Charlotte.

"You failed as a bride!" Scolded Laura.

"Should've known...Should've known..." Muttered Houki.

The girls all turned away, and marched onward to the water park, as Thomas finally caught up in his stroll.

"I don't get it," Complained Ichika, "Why're they so upset all of the sudden?"

Thomas, who'd long since gotten bored of the run-on gag, consoled and admonished Ichika.

"If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You really wouldn't understand if I told you."

"You always say that!"

"And you never learn why that is."

With that, Ichika and Thomas jogged to catch up with the girls.

* * *

_At the waterpark..._

Ichika and Thomas were the first to finish changing.

Thomas was currently still in the locker room, however.

_"There's something I gotta get first,"_ He said, _"Don't mind me."_

Ichika simply shrugged as he waited for the others.

"Oh, Ichika!" Called a familiar voice.

Ichika turned to see Cecelia in a two-piece swimsuit making a mad sprint up to him. Cecelia was breathing heavily, and glistening with sweat. The moment she reached Ichika, she nearly fell over from exhaustion.

"A-Are you okay?!"

"Oh yes! I'm lovely! Let's hurry and get over to the pool now, shall we?"

"What about everyone else?"

"Um...Don't worry about them! Everyone else has already gone ahead!" Cecelia said with a nervous giggle.

Thomas would've easily called her out for lying, but Ichika didn't know any better.

"So let's hurry over there at once!" Cecelia concluded, taking Ichika by his wrist.

"Guess they must've really wanted to get into the pool, huh?"

"Y-Yes! So it would seem!"

Little did Ichika know what the girls were really doing.

* * *

Houki breathed heavily.

"All...Done!" She proudly declared.

She'd just taken the painful process of inflating a dolphin floaty.

The girls were currently all inflating floaties that Cecelia had given to them as gifts for the occasion.

"Great!" Said Charlotte," Let's go!"

"Still can't believe Cecelia got one for everyone! That was so thoughtful of her!" Said Lingyin, with a banana floaty the same size as her tucked under her arm.

"Surprisingly so." Agreed Laura.

"Yeah, surprisingly..." Emphasized Houki.

"Wait!" Realized Charlotte, "Where _is_ Cecelia?"

The foursome looked around the locker room, and Cecelia was nowhere in sight.

They then realized what Cecelia had done.

"That bitch!" Snapped the four in unison, in their respective languages to mask their cursing.

The girls raced outside to where they were supposed to meet up with Ichika and Thomas, only to find that no-one in their group was there.

"She set us up!" Roared Laura as she crushed her floaty in her hands and popped it to shreds.

"I call that we split up in pairs and hunt those two down!" Voted Lingyin.

The other three girls nodded, paired up, and headed off.

_Minutes Later..._

Thomas was pulling a very large, deflated float to where the group agreed to meet up...

...Only to find that no-one was there.

"Eh, shit." He muttered, "Knew something would happen."

Thomas then went on his way without waiting any longer, tugging the float to the poolside so he could inflate it there.

* * *

Thomas spied Ichika and Cecelia swimming around in the pool as he arrived. Well, it was more like Ichika swimming while pushing Cecelia around while she sat on a float. Ichika was oblivious to Cecelia's manipulative trick.

"There's nothing like spending a hot summer day at the pool, don't you think?" Asked Cecelia.

"Oh hey, Thomas just showed up!" Ichika called to him, "Hey Thomas!"

"Gimme a minute and I'll come over!" Replied Thomas, turning his attention to his float.

"Y'know..." Observed Ichika, "I haven't seen the other girls for a while...Are they even here anymore?"

Cecelia flinched.

"Um...Yes! Rather odd, isn't it?" Cecelia replied before making a fake laughter.

She yelped, and suddenly fell off the float and into the water, pulling Ichika under as well.

Thomas wasn't paying attention, and didn't notice.

Lingyin and Laura ran across the edge of the pool.

"I don't get it!" Snapped Lingyin, "Where did they go?!"

"I also did not locate zhem." Reported Laura.

The two noticed Thomas, and began to question him.

"Have you seen Ichika and Cecelia?"

"Well," Thomas answered, "They were here a minute ago. They must've left or something, I wasn't paying attention."

"Damn!" Said Lingyin, right before turning her attention to Thomas's float.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Yup!" Answered Thomas, "Gonna ride the waves on the mofo!"

He then returned to his task.

"Let us know if you see 'em!"

"Gotcha."

Lingyin and Laura raced off in another direction.

Moments later, Thomas turned his head to see Ichika and Cecelia popping their heads out of the water.

"Oh..." He observed, caring little for Ichika's little "harem antics," he turned back to the float. So far, after what seemed like an eternity, Thomas had managed to inflate the float to ideal capacity, despite the fact that it was a very large float.

He really should've brought the bicycle pump.

"Ahoy, mates!" Declared Honnie, "I see Ori-Moo and Tommy-Teddy over there!"

Thomas turned to see Honnie and her friends, rowing on a banana float...raft?

Thomas was stunned such a thing was actually sold.

"Hey guys!" Called Ichika, "You actually made it!"

"A lot of girls from the IS Academy are here today, too!" Explained Honnie, right before looking into a pair of binoculars aimed at Cecelia.

"Captain!" She called.

"Hm?"

"I spy Cecelia wearing a _raunchy_ swimsuit!"

"_Really_ raunchy!"

"_Super_ raunchy!"

The girls all then began to sing, "Cecelia's the raunchiest!"

"I am _not_ the raunchiest!" Cecelia protested.

Suddenly, Thomas's float entered the water.

All that anyone in front of it saw was a big pirate ship.

The reason Thomas took so long in the locker room was not only because he was inflating the pirate ship float, but because he'd thrown together a costume for this very occasion, and decided to bring it along.

Currently, he was wearing an eyepatch, his jammers, baggy swim trunks, a longsleeve speedo swim shirt, and arm band floats.

He also took another step further.

He'd brought a waterproof bluetooth speaker.

Thomas balanced himself in the pirate ship, and pressed play on a very specific song in his "Meme Playlist."

_(Song-He's a Pirate-Pirates of the Caribbean.)_

Ichika and Cecelia stared with their jaws dropped.

**"AVAST MOTHERFUCKERS!"** He shouted at the top of his lungs.

Thomas threw his head back with insane laughter.

"What...What is he doing now?" Cecelia asked, simply dumbstruck at watching Thomas do something.

"I think he's just horsing around." Said Ichika.

"Oh no!" Cried Honnie with joy, "It's the Dreaded Pirate Thomas! He looks so manly!"

Suddenly, the group heard a blaring horn.

The floodgate behind them opened, and a massive maelstrom of oncoming flood headed right for them.

Thomas laughed, Ichika and Cecelia screamed.

The flood swept Ichika and Cecelia up as though they were specs of dust.

Thomas's float rode the waves as he stood through all of it, his laughter maintaining throughout.

"Bye bye Ori-Moo and Dreaded Pirate Thomas!"

By the time the splashing flash had stopped, Ichika was laid out on the shallow end of the pool, Cecelia was hung out to dry on a dolphin statue, And Thomas was sighing as he was satisfied with his antics.

Thomas had downloaded an extended version of "He's A Pirate," And the song was still going.

Ichika, still winded, slowly picked himself up.

"Cecelia?"

"There you are!" Announced Houki, who was currently standing before him.

Charlotte and Houki yanked Ichika to his feet.

"Now let's go have some fun!" Houki commanded.

"Wah-Wait! Where's Cecelia?"

"Oh...She'll turn up I guess."

None of them had noticed Cecelia hanging from the dolphin statue.

However, they did turn to the sound of Thomas playing songs.

Ichika stared.

"That's got to be the best pirate I've ever seen." He marveled.

"So it would seem..." Deadpanned Charlotte.

The float became shaky, and Thomas finally fell off.

As his head returned to the surface, he chuckled.

However, a white-haired woman with sunglasses was sitting at a table far off, her phone recording Thomas, as she smiled.

It was her time.

* * *

Houki and Charlotte had guided Ichika over to the Couple's Water slide.

"That sounds like fun!" Said Ichika.

"I _suppose_ I don't have a choice...I wouldn't object to doing it with you-!" Groaned Houki.

"Hey, no fair!" Protested Charlotte, "Let's decide with rock-paper-scissors!"

"Oh ho!" Sneered Houki, "On three, then!"

The girls presented their hands on the count of three.

Houki went with rock.

Charlotte used paper.

Charlotte giggled in triumph and Houki clenched her fist and turned away in shame.

Thomas, who'd just finished stowing away the float, arm bands, and the eye patch, witnessed this as he reached the trio.

"Y'know Houki," He offered, "If you wanna, we can pair up-!"

"Sorry," Rejected Houki, "But I'll just wait until they're done."

Thomas, despite knowing full well this outcome was the one he'd receive, was still a little hurt at the rejection of his offer. He played it off, and strolled elsewhere, to watch the others play around and have fun.

It wasn't very long before Charlotte and Ichika landed at the bottom of the slide.

Thomas could hear Charlotte calling Ichika a pervert, and it didn't take a detective to figure out why.

Thomas watched, and couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy for Ichika.

One by one, the girls all went down the water slide with Ichika.

And little by little, Thomas's envy grew bigger.

That is, until something unexpected popped up.

"Hi there!" A familiar voice piped up from behind Thomas.

Thomas turned, only to find Kana standing behind him with a big, innocent smile on her face.

Currently, Kana was wearing a two-piece black and white swimsuit, with a skirt.

"Remember me? We met on the train yesterday!"

"Oh yeah! Didn't expect you to be here, Kana."

"I could say the same to you! I guess it's only fate!"

"So...What've you been up to-?!"

"You're jealous of him, aren't you?"

"How'd you...?"

"I noticed you were staring at that guy...I guess you're lonely?"

"A little..."

"Ara ara!" Said Kana, "Well, if you want, we can be a couple for they day~!"

"Really?"

"I have no objections!"

"Um...A-Alright then..."

"C'mon! Let's go on the Couple's Slide!"

Kana wrapped her arm around Thomas's, and guided him to the summit of the mountainous slide. Thomas noticed he was actually taller than Kana, she appeared the same height as Chifuyu.

"Alright." Said the Lifeguard Woman managing the slide, "So, first, The guy gets in a spreads his legs wide."

Thomas did as he was told, albeit very uncomfortably.

"Next," Instructed the Lifeguard, "The girl gets in and sits in the guy's lap."

Kana did so, with a deep blush and a smile. However, she seemed a little too eager to do so.

"Okay," Continued the Lifeguard, "Now, guy; Hug the girl tightly from behind."

"Mhm." Thomas's voice cracked.

Thomas wrapped his arms tightly around Kana, making sure his hands held her at her sides, rather than in the front.

He didn't want to end up like Ichika.

"Okay then!" Concluded the Lifeguard, "Have fun!"

Without warning, she gave Thomas a push, and the two were sent sliding down to the bottom. The slide they went down was full of twists and turns, making the couple feel queasy. It certainly didn't help that it felt as though they were going faster with each passing second.

Kana and Thomas let go of each other as they landed in the pool at the bottom.

Thomas surfaced, only to find the rest of his group staring at him.

"What?" He asked.

"Thomas," Asked Ichika, "Who's your new friend?"

"Oh, she's-!"

"Hello!" Kana introduced herself, "My name's Kana! And I'm Tommy's girlfriend for the day!"

"What?!" Snapped Lingyin.

"Yeah...I met Kana on the way to the mall with Charlotte and Laura yesterday." Explained Thomas, "She came up to me while you all were on the Couple's Slide. So, we ended up being a couple just for today."

"Ara ara!" Cheered Kana, "It's nice to see Tommy has so many friends! However..."

Kana suddenly wrapped her arms around Thomas, and pouted.

"...Don't think for a second that you get to keep him to yourselves!"

Ichika chuckled.

"You act like such an anime girl!"

The girls scolded Ichika for his offhanded remark.

"You can't just say that to a girl!"

"_Jah_! How rude!"

"Most undignified of you, Ichika darling!"

"Are you an idiot?!"

"You're a pervert, Ichika!"

"Where'd that come from?!" Cried Ichika.

"It's fine!" Assured Kana.

Kana then wrapped her arms around Thomas's right, and ushered him off to their own activities.

"Meet you guys at the festival!" Called Thomas.

"Gotcha!" Ichika responded.

_A few meters away..._

Chifuyu suddenly noticed the group of students.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" She snapped, "They came here too?!"

"Excuse me, Miss Orimura," Suggested Miss Yamada, "Aren't going to go over and say hello to Ichika?"

Chifuyu's sunglasses slid into a crooked position on her face as she shivered at the idea.

"It's not that I don't want to," She said, straightening out her glasses, "It's just that having any involvement with that group...especially with the girls...would ruin my last day off-?!"

Chifuyu then saw a sight she never thought she'd see.

She saw Kana guiding Thomas around, in search of sights to see and activities to do.

"I-It can't be..." Chifuyu stuttered as her eyes widened behind her sunglasses, a chill went down her spine, and her skin went pale with terror.

"Is something wrong, ma'am?"

"After all these years..."

Miss Yamada noticed something unnatural.

Chifuyu was scared...

...And she was showing it.

"Who's that?" Miss Yamada asked, looking to where Chifuyu was, "She seems to be taking quite a shine on Scott...They look so cute together!"

Chifuyu said nothing, her visible horror lingering.

Suddenly, Chifuyu's phone rang.

As she picked it up, her hand was shaking and quivering.

However, her skin quickly regained color, the chill left, and Chifuyu put her normal appearance back on as she pressed the touchscreen to answer.

"Talk to me." She said.

The caller mentioned only a few words.

"Understood," Chifuyu said, "I'm on my way."

She hung up, and began to pack her things.

"Has something come up?" Asked Miss Yamada.

"Yeah." Chifuyu said plainly.

Miss Yamada packed up her belongings, and quickly followed.

* * *

The bulk of Thomas's day at the water park was surely one he'd remember.

He and Kana did a great deal of things together.

They rode several rides, and played a lot together in the pool.

Eventually, they met up with the others for a group-wide playtime in the pool.

Ichika and Thomas sat on the pirate ship float, and calmly sailed wherever the currents carried them.

That is, until their battle began.

"CAPTAIN!" Cried Ichika.

"Ye-Yeah?" Inquired Thomas.

"LOOK!" Ichika shouted as he pointed to Thomas's left.

Thomas looked to his left...

...Only to find an even bigger pirate ship float sailing right for them.

"OH FUCK! NONONONO!" Screamed Thomas, as he began to try and lean to orient their float out of harm's way.

"AAAAH! AAAAAAAAAH!" Ichika screamed in terror, absolutely dumbstruck.

"Ahoy there, mateys!" Announced Lingyin.

The boys looked, only to find that all of the girls were the ones in control of the other ship.

And they had super-soakers as well.

"Hey guys! Chill!" Pleaded Thomas.

"Take zhem down!" Boomed Laura, as the girls all began to take aim.

Time seemed to slow down for Thomas and Ichika.

They needed to think fast, or they'd get absolutely wrecked.

Thomas worked quickly, and splashed a lot of water at the girls. Seeing as the girls had super-soakers, and the boys did not, they were already at a serious disadvantage. However, Thomas had a special Batman costume piece he'd brought along so he could test it. Their only chance was to find cover...

...Or escape.

By the full second it took for the water that Thomas splashed around to settle, Ichika had ducked behind the back wall of the pirate ship...

...While Thomas had disappeared from the float completely.

The girls all blinked in confusion. Where could Thomas have possibly gone in the single moment they were distracted? Did he abandon ship? No, Thomas would never duck a fight like that!

So where had the boy gone?

The floats had stopped moving, and were parked right next to each other.

Lingyin, Charlotte, and Cecelia all moved onto the boys' ship, their soakers trained upon Ichika.

Ichika whimpered.

"Alright! We found the booty!" Cheered Lingyin, "You're our prisoner now, Ichika! Yar har har!"

Out of nowhere, Thomas's bluetooth speaker started playing the Batman 1989 theme song.

Kana, and Laura were at the edge of their ship closest to the boys' ship.

Houki was on the opposite end.

They were all looking at the other float, and didn't notice bubbles on the opposite side of the girls' float.

Suddenly, an arm shot out from the surface of the water, and hooked the inside of Houki's ankle.

The sudden action had caused the girl to trip, and in her efforts to regain balance, the arm had grabbed her ankle and pushed. The stealth attack had forced Houki to fall off the float, and under the water.

"Vhat zhe-?!" Started Laura.

"What was that?!" Cried Kana.

The two girls whipped around, and slowly made their way to the other side of the boat.

They stared into the water, trying to deduce where Houki was, or the culprit that had made her disappear.

Without warning, Houki's super-soaker popped out of the pool, and shot both Kana and Laura in the face. The girls each let one hand off their soakers to cover their faces, which was their biggest mistake.

Thomas shot out from the depths, and quickly disarmed the girls, and sent them both off the float and into the water.

Lingyin, Charlotte, and Cecelia all turned their attention to see what had happened.

What they saw, they'd never forget.

"I'm Batman!" Declared Thomas, in his best Batman voice.

The three girls opened fire upon Thomas, Who quickly ducked under cover with the wall of the float, and his own super-soaker.

The trio used their bombardment as a means of covering their approach on Thomas.

However, Thomas quickly returned fire from behind the wall.

The girls, despite Thomas making potshots, all covered themselves to reduce getting hit. They only took their eyes off of him for a moment.

Suddenly, Thomas's assault ceased, and refused to continue.

The girls all slowly moved in, only to find that once again, Thomas had vanished yet again.

They began to cover three sides of the float in search of Thomas's body in the water. Lingyin was watching over the boys' float, making sure Ichika remained where he was. Cecelia was overseeing the back and side of the float next to the other float. Charlotte was surveying the opposite side of the float, to make sure Thomas wouldn't try the same trick twice.

They left one big blind spot open, however.

Thomas suddenly burst up from the bow of the float, and shot Charlotte in the leg up to her face, quickly stunning her.

Thomas rolled onto the deck of the ship, and blinded Cecelia with water as he rolled onto his back. He quickly nudged Cecelia off the boat, the splash rippling and beginning to separate the two floats.

Charlotte recovered, and took aim at Thomas.

"I have you now!" She declared.

She fired a stream at Thomas, who negated the attack with his own.

Charlotte gasped in surprise.

"Impossible!" She cried.

"No." Corrected Thomas, "Thomas."

He then fired an onslaught of shots, striking a few of Charlotte pressure points and joints with cold water, giving Thomas the time window he needed to disarm Charlotte, and push her overboard.

"But," He taunted, "I can see why you'd get confused between the two."

Lingyin was too slow to notice Thomas's quick work of the entire team of girls, despite the odds stacked against him.

She tried to hit Thomas from range, shooting from the boys' float.

Thomas, for once, jumped into the water as Lingyin watched.

Lingyin panicked, and began to scan the water for any sign of Thomas. She looked carefully for bubbles, movement, and shapes that reveal Thomas's location.

However, out of the entire group, Thomas's underwater capabilities were simply unparalleled, even by Houki.

He held his breath, not letting a single bubble out. instead of swimming through the water, he trailed at the very bottom, to generate more water lag and reduce risk of being caught from the surface.

The float was designed with gaps at the bottom, to serve as seats for anyone riding the float. Lingyin was looking around at the edges of the float, not taking into account the bottom of it.

Thomas moved slowly as he began to silently swim towards the surface under the float. He briefly let the top of his head above the water for a quick and quiet breath of air, and to spot Lingyin's position.

Currently, he back was turned to him, as she stood right in front of him.

He ducked back under quietly, and stuck out the barrel of his soaker, and fired.

Lingyin felt a blast of cold water right on the middle of her back. She yelped and whipped around, discovering Thomas had fired from beneath the float. She then proceeded to unload her entire water tank into the gaps in the float.

She breathed in, and out.

She turned back to Ichika, only to see he was sitting under a super-soaker aimed right at her, being pointed from a gap in the float's wall to serve as a window.

Thomas then unloaded his entire water tank upon Lingyin, who fell backwards into the water as a result of the overwhelming assault.

Thomas climbed back onto the boys' float, victorious.

Houki, Kana, Laura, Cecelia, and Charlotte had been treading water ever since, too ashamed of their defeat at the hands of a single boy to get back into the fight.

"How'd you pull all that off?!" Asked Ichika, absolutely stunned.

"That was like a _Batman: Arkham_ game!" Declared Thomas, completely ignoring the question.

"I must admit," Confessed Cecelia, "I was rather surprised by your knack for stealth."

"It vas just like at zhe maid cafe yesterday!" Observed Laura.

"Oui!" Agreed Charlotte.

"Wait." Said Houki, "What's this about a maid cafe?"

"What happened yesterday?" Inquired Lingyin.

"Guys!" Snapped Thomas, "I thought we agreed that we wouldn't talk about it!"

"Oh...Sorry."

"Vell, ve should tell zhem now, since zhey have heard about it."

"Ugh," Groaned Thomas, "Fine."

* * *

_One story later..._

Laura, Thomas, and Charlotte all ushered the group to a dining area as they told the story.

"You took out four armed criminals on your own?!" Snapped Lingyin, "You could've gotten killed!"

"That's awesome! You'd be an awesome soldier! Heck, a spy!" Said Ichika.

"Is vas...Rather interesting to observe Thomas's strategical prowess, as vell as his tactical."

Suddenly, Kana wrapped her arms around Thomas, and pulled him face-first into her bosom.

"That was awful!" She sobbed, "You scared me with that story! You could've gotten hurt badly! Are you alright? Do you have any gunshot wounds?! How many?! Never mind, I don't wanna know!"

"Iff pine!" Muffled Thomas, still stuck in Kana's hold.

"He also disarmed a bomb just before it had the chance to go off!" Added Charlotte.

"There was a bomb?!" Shrieked Kana, who pulled Thomas in deeper.

"_Oui_. However, Thomas had managed to angle two gunshots to shoot through the detonators, and render them useless!"

"And the manager let me keep the butler uniform!" Said Thomas as he finally broke out of Kana's powerful hug.

This only made Kana pull him right back in.

"That was so terrifying!" Scolded Kana, "And you all just _let_ him go through with it?!"

"Vell, He handled zhe situation, and did so without too much complication."

Thomas managed to get his face out off Kana's chest.

"Promise me guys," He croaked, "Nobody tells Chifuyu. If she finds out about this, kiss the punishment for the whole beach trip incident and the IS exploding goodbye-I'd be fucking assassinated!"

"Just what d'you mean by the Is exploding and the 'beach trip incident?'" Said Kana, her voice trembling.

"You don't wanna know." Thomas said, right before being pulled buried back into Kana's bosom.

Kana went to hysterics.

"Guess you really care about Thomas, huh?" Said Ichika.

"He's m-my boyfriend for the day! Of course I care so deeply for him!"

She slowly calmed down.

"I haven't had a relationship before...So...I want to make the most of this, even if it's only for the day."

"I see..." Said Houki.

"Now that that's over with," Said Thomas, "Let's enjoy the end of summer!"

* * *

_That Evening..._

The group went to the festival square, each one wearing a yukata they'd all rented for the occasion.

Ichika was teaching the girls how to play a few games, Thomas and Kana were window-shopping at the food stalls. Kana had purchased cotton candy, whereas Thomas had gotten a candied apple.

Thomas simply chewed right through it, despite the hard candy shell.

His ability to break through with his teeth alone scared the the rest of the group a little.

Eventually, the group decided to go to a shooting gallery.

There was a very large prize Laura was aiming for, but she alone was unable to win it. The others had all decided to pitch in, and give Laura support as they tried knocking the prize off the rack.

With their combined efforts, they'd won the prize.

The group had lots of fun as their last day of summer drew to a close.

They'd assembled in a quiet corner, and lit sparklers to commemorate their final hours of vacation.

"It's been fun." Said Thomas, "Some of the best times I've had in my life."

"That's what happens when you hang around your friends for too long." Said Lingyin.

"I do admit," Said Cecelia, "Although I didn't expect it, you were quite fun to be around, Thomas."

"Here's to a wonderful year in school." Said Houki.

One by one, their sparklers began to fizzle out.

"Here's to another wonderful summer, come and gone." Said Ichika.

After a minute of the group sitting down and slowly succumbing to exhaustion, Kana's phone rang.

She pulled it out to check.

"Oh man!" She whined, "My mom's calling me. Guess it's time I start for home."

"We may have only been a couple for a day," Said Thomas, "But-?!"

Kana gave Thomas a great, big hug.

"I'm so glad I finally got to meet you." She whispered.

With that, and her hug lingering, Kana reluctantly let go, and began to head for home.

The IS students all began to stretch and yawn.

"Looks like it's time we went home, too." Said Thomas.

"Let's hurry, before the last train." Said Ichika.

The group all changed back into their street clothes, and ran for the train. They'd made it just in time, quickly getting tickets and boarding the last train mere moments before it left.

* * *

_On the Train..._

The girls had all fallen asleep. Cecelia and Houki were leaning on each other, and the other three girls leaned on them.

"They look tuckered out." Observed Thomas.

"Let's hope they wake up at the end of the line," Said Ichika, "There's no way we'll be able to carry them all back."

"Heh heh..." Muttered Thomas.

"What?"

"Gimme a sec."

Thomas pulled out his speaker, and connected to his phone.

There was still enough power for him to play one last song.

There was no-one else but the girls and the boys on the train, meaning Thomas could play some music quietly.

He pulled up his Jojo Playlist, and played the one song he knew was right for the occasion.

_(Song-Last Train Home-Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.)_

Ichika chuckled.

"Well," He admitted, "You're right. It _does_ fit with this setup so well..."

"Y'know..."

"Hm?"

"Kana actually reminds me of what I think my mom looks like."

"Really?"

"It's too much to be a coincidence...But I still have my doubts. There are differences."

"I see..."

The boys sat in exhausted silence as they listened to the song play out, and the train moved ever closer to their stop.

"I wasn't lying when I said I had a lot of fun with the whole gang, y'know." Said Thomas.

"That's wonderful to hear."

"Yeah..." Thomas trailed off with a smile.

As the song drew to a close, the train reached the end of the line.

It seemed as though it were timed so perfectly.

Thomas and Ichika woke the girls up, and they all trudged back to their rooms.

They'd be ready for whatever schoolwork awaited them the next morning.

Thomas slept with a smile on his face.

His life had just made a change for the better.

* * *

Kana had also gotten on the last train to her area.

She was walking on a hillside walkway when she'd finally answered her phone.

"Mama? You won't believe what happened today!"

"_Kana! It's nearly 11, what have you been up to sweetie?_"

"I can explain, Mama!"

"_Well? I can't wait to hear about it!_"

"I...I finally got to spend time with Tommy!"

"_Really?! He was at the water park too?!_"

"Yeah! He doesn't know the truth yet, so we ended up being a couple for the day!"

"_Aw...That's so sweet! Although, I wish he knew the truth about you..._"

"It's fine! As long as I get to spend time with Tommy, I won't complain!"

"_That's all well and good, Kana. But, it's way past bedtime, so would you hurry along home? M's just returned from her mission. And, we have another mission coming up soon, and I want to fill you in on the briefing, since I think you'll enjoy this mission..._"

"Okay then, Mama. See you soon!"

Kana hung up her phone, her bright smile had yet to go away.

It wouldn't be long before the family could meet Thomas...

...Her mother would meet him next.

* * *

**A/N: Done! I may have revealed a bit too much this chapter, but I wanted to hint as much as possible.**

**So far, I've found a way to introduce Yin as Thomas's missing mother. I feel like I revealed it a bit too early, seeing as I felt like I was trying to pull a Lisa Lisa with Yin.**

**However, I wanted to take this time to introduce another male OC I was creating.**

**Adrian Irving. He's a Representative Candidate for Russia.**

**His IS Unit is the Ressureckt. It was the attempt at making a superior model to the Rafale-Revive II, with a bigger data storage, it can hold a lot more data than it's predecessor.**

**I wanted to serve as Thomas's rival when Adrian is introduced. he reason being is that because their IS Units are so similar, both Adrian and Thomas want to see just who is the better pilot.**

**Sounds like a cool concept, huh? Let me know what you think!**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	12. Practice makes Perfect!

**Alright! In the next few chapters, things are about to get dangerous of Thomas is put up against...A lot, when I think about it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**The school year resumes once more, and for the boys, it's shaping up to be a good term!**

**However, little do they realize the dangers hidden right under their noses.**

**Out of nowhere, the Student Council President, Tatenashi Sarashiki, makes the executive decision to become Thomas and Ichika's personal trainer! She drills them relentlessly, driving them to their limits!**

**Can Ichika and Thomas survive?**

* * *

It was the first training battle after summer vacation.

Currently, Thomas and Ichika were going toe-to-toe at each other to gauge the Byakushki's new abilities, and the Revive's statistical data in the Primary Shift.

Ichika was chasing Thomas, seemingly leading the battle in his favor. Every time he got within range, he'd bring the Yukihira upon Thomas, who'd counter with his Barrier Shield, drawing the fight out for longer.

However, it was only a matter of time before Thomas actually decided to start trying.

"Remember!" Instructed Thomas, "The Byakushki's meant for CQC, putting you at a serious disadvantage. You need to close the gap without wasting power or getting hit, and that's the tough part!"

"I know! I'm just trying to figure out why you're not using guns! All you've done most of this fight is just hold your shield!"

"It's a Sword V Shield battle, might as well make the most of it!" Said Thomas.

Chifuyu and Miss Yamada watched from the pit control room.

"Looks like once again," Said Miss Yamada, "Orimura's leading the battle."

"Hardly." Criticized Chifuyu, "To me, it looks like Scott's trying to train Orimura. He has yet to actually attack Orimura, and he knows it. If anything Scott, could've won the fight any old time he wanted."

"So, why doesn't he?"

"It's a classic fighting tactic. He's just toughing it out so Ichika wastes his time trying to beat him. And, it makes it easier for Scott to straight-smash Orimura when he realizes he'd out of power."

Thomas finally decided to put up a fight for Ichika, and took potshots at the boy with a PDW.

Ichika simply cut down the bullets he couldn't dodge.

"Not too bad, you're getting better!"

"I saw you do it once! So I can do the same!"

"Then show me!"

Ichika had gotten within striking distance of Thomas, and began to hack away at his opponent.

However, Thomas's Barrier Shield was simply too big for Ichika to get past it.

Eventually, they broke off to give each other space for their next clash.

"This'll be the decider!" Declared Ichika, raising his Yukihira.

"Fine by me!" Said Thomas, shifting from his right Barrier Shield to his left.

He had a plan.

Ichika revved his Charged Particle Cannon, ready to fire in mere moments.

Thomas quickly did the same, the Cannon deploying on his hip.

Suddenly, the two fired, and their shots connected.

The result was a massive implosion that knocked them both askew.

Chifuyu flinched, and Miss Yamada gasped.

"Oh my!" Cried Miss Yamada, "I never thought that would happen! Should check on them?"

"No." Affirmed Chifuyu, "They're fine."

Sure enough, Thomas and Ichika had already shaken off the recoil from the collision, and returned to fighting.

Ichika rushed Thomas, only to be met with the left Barrier Shield.

Ichika brought down the Yukihira, clashing continuously with the shield. He then reached his Particle Cannon over the shield, and attempted to blast Thomas in the face.

Thomas, however, caught onto Ichika's plan, and moved away to reduce the impact. Sadly, he was still hit in the torso.

But the blow to the torso was better than one to the head.

Ichika went in for another attack, only to be met with Thomas's left Shield Pierce to his gut.

Ichika was sent back a few meters, and realized it was all over.

His shield energy was depleted, and his Yukihira fizzled out.

However, when he looked to find Thomas, the boy was nowhere in sight.

Ichika looked up, only to find Thomas right above him, smirking.

Thomas sent Ichika back to the Earth with a barrage from the Revive's missile racks.

Ichika groaned, Thomas landed, and the bell rang.

Once again, Thomas had beaten Ichika.

"Y'know," Said Thomas, "I really wish I could use an Uchigane again..."

He then remembered Chifuyu's threats of punishments, and quickly perished the thought.

* * *

Thomas and Ichika sat in the locker room as they changed and talked over their battle.

"I was so close!"

"Not really."

"Oh come on!"

"You weren't thinking it through."

"I was!"

"Then what was your plan?"

"I...wasn't thinking it through."

"You need to work on fixing your power consumption, that was over faster than the first time we fought."

Thomas had already finished changing. Ever since he'd come to the academy, he had always followed a single rule when it came to managing his IS Unit; Always wear the pilot uniform.

There was bound to be at least one situation a day where he'd need it.

"See you in class." Said Thomas as he took off.

He didn't even waste time to tell Ichika to work faster before he was late.

He didn't even notice the blue-haired girl walking into the locker room as he left.

_Less than half an hour later..._

"So let get this straight," Said Chifuyu, "That's your excuse for being late?"

"Yeah!" Defended Ichika, "There was this mysterious, blue-haired girl I never met before and she...um...distracted me?"

Apparently, Ichika had been held up in the locker room, and was late by a minute or so.

Chifuyu was giving him the glare of judgement and unforgiving cruelty.

"So," Concluded Chifuyu, "You were late to _my_ class because you prioritized a conversation with a girl you didn't even _know_?"

"That's...not what I said." Whimpered Ichika.

"Dunois." Ordered Chifuyu, "Please demonstrate the Rapid Switch."

Thomas shifted in his chair.

"Woah-woah-woah!" He stuttered, "Isn't that overkill?!"

"I'm sorry Scott," Said Chifuyu, turning her wrath upon him, "You're on thin ice as is, but it sounded to me like you want to join Orimura here."

"That's not-!"

"Dunois!"

"_Oui_, Instructor Orimura!" Said Charlotte.

Charlotte deployed her Revive, and gave the boys a smile.

"Now!" Announced Charlotte, "Observe the Rapid Switch!"

She deployed one of her PDWs.

"Now," Her face twisted into a glare, "Let us begin!"

She aimed for Thomas, who, in his anxiety attack, reacted without thinking.

In a mere 5 seconds, Thomas deployed his Revive, disarmed Charlotte, grabbed her by the wrist, and flipped her over onto her back.

His eyes bulged, and he breathed heavily. The adrenaline rush took its course as Thomas slowed down.

He turned to look at Chifuyu.

If looks could kill, Thomas would've been several times dead.

"That's enough of that, then." Chifuyu said calmly.

Thomas feared for his life.

Normally, he could handle women screaming at him, but when they were calm, there were at their most dangerous.

"You three, back to your seats."

The trio all sat back down without a sound.

Thomas could tell Chifuyu was going to enjoy watching him suffer in whatever she had planned.

_Later..._

The class went down to the auditorium for a school assembly.

However, Thomas and Ichika could tell a good majority of the student body were all trying to get peeks at the two boys.

"_Ladies and the two gentlemen of the IS Academy,_" Said the loudspeaker, "_Please stand by for an address from the President of your Student Council._"

The Student President walked up on stage.

Ichika whispered into Thomas's ear without taking eyes off the stage.

"That's the girl I was talking about! I didn't know she was the Student Council President!"

"I see...Not like it matters now, Chifuyu gonna kill me deader than a doorknob now!"

The girl began to speak into the microphone.

"Things have been hectic this year." She said with a smile, "So hectic that, many of you haven't properly met me yet! So allow me to introduce myself! My name is Tatenashi Sarashiki! And, if you're in this school's Student Body, then that makes me your head!"

Tatenashi then made eye contact with Ichika, and winked at him.

Thomas turned to Ichika.

"So," He whispered, "You two have a thing?"

"N-No!"

"Okay then!" Continued Tatenashi, "Our annual School Festival is coming up. That means each class must decide what they want to do as a fundraising project!"

She then whipped out a fan that said, _"Deadline coming soon!"_

"Good luck!"

Thomas and Ichika turned to look at each other.

They both knew full well just what sort of hell Tatenashi put them into.

* * *

The students returned to class, and began to vote for their activity. Ichika was the Class Representative, meaning he got the executive decision. However, he and Thomas knew all too well the girls were going to take full advantage of the situation.

"Okay," He said, "The suggestions for this class's Semester Fundraising Program are..."

Ichika looked at the four options he had to choose from.

One of them was a Host Club with Ichika or Thomas.

Another was a game of Twister with Ichika _and_ Thomas.

The third was a game of Pocky with Ichika or Thomas.

And the fourth was The King Game with Ichika and Thomas.

Neither Ichika nor Thomas felt comfortable with any of the options they had to work with.

"...They're all REJECTED!" Cried Ichika, unnerved by the thought of doing any of the suggestions.

The girls were absolutely dumbstruck, all making gasps of confusion. What was wrong with the activities? Why would the boys reject them?

"Who'd want to do any of that stuff?!" Questioned Ichika.

"I know I would!" Answered one girl.

"What?!" Cried Ichika.

"She's right! You two need to follow through with your duty to please us!"

"That is not-!" Piped up Thomas, ready to remind everyone he was a True Advocate of Gender Equality.

"Yeah! Ichika Orimura and Thomas Scott are public property." Said a third girl.

"You're so backwards I can't tell if you just went forwards!" Insulted Thomas.

What unnerved him the most was that the girls all took that as a compliment.

It was Laura of all people who suggested the best solution.

"If you two are so uncomfortable," He said, "Zhen vhy don't ve do a Maid Cafe?"

The girls instantly turned to look at Laura, and overwhelming agreement swept the room.

"Maid Cafe?" Deadpanned Ichika.

"I mean, I did it before!" Admitted Thomas, "It didn't turn out so well, but I did it!"

The girls all turned to Thomas, ready to grill him with unending amounts of questions.

Thomas made a preemptive attack.

"No," He said unprompted, "I'm not going to tell you what happened. It's not something I want to talk about."

The girls all groaned in disappointment.

Despite Ichika's half-assed protests, the girls all decided upon the Maid Cafe.

Thomas looked at his watch, and mouthed the words, _"Oh shit."_

He signaled Ichika, and the two boys quickly left the room.

"Seriously?!"

"We're gonna be late for practice!"

The boys raced down the hall...

...Only to run right into Tatenashi.

"Where d'you think you boys are off to?"

"Practice." Said Thomas, "I don't want a repeat of the Rapid Switch incident, so we gotta get going-?!"

"Starting right now," Declared Tatenashi, "I'll be your Personal IS Coach. Both of you!"

The announcement had gotten mixed reception.

"Alright then." Said Thomas.

"What?! No way! We already have enough coaches as is!"

Ichika looked at Thomas as though he were insane.

"Are you seriously just gonna side with her?!"

"Yeh." Said Thomas, "If I can trade all of our coaches for just one, I see this as an absolute win!"

"Besides," Taunted the President, "If you have so many coaches, then why are you both such bad pilots?"

Thomas took offense.

"I am not a bad pilot!" He protested, "That only happened because I overloaded it!" He hinted to blowing up the Training IS.

"I've heard quite a deal about that," Said Tatenashi, "So let's change that, and get you right back on track!"

"I'm not gonna!" Denied Ichika.

"Yes, you will!" Insisted Tatenashi.

"You know what?" Said Ichika, "Let's settle this, IS Academy-Style! Fight makes right!"

"Alright then!" Agreed Tatenashi.

"I'll get a cart to haul you to the infirmary when this is over." Thomas said to Ichika.

_After the fight..._

It'd only been no more than 5 minutes.

Thomas was walking down to the martial arts club room, only to hear Ichika's trademark rooster-screech yet again.

Thomas threw open the door, only to find Ichika out cold on the floor, and Tatenashi covering her chest in embarrassment.

"So..." Thomas broke the tension, "Do you want me to carry him? Or..."

"Just give me a second and we'll carry him to the infirmary together." She said.

"He never stood a chance..."

"He's got moves...I'll give him that. But I think you'd stand much better a chance against me. Can't wait to find out!"

"Tough," Said Thomas as he prepared to lift Ichika, "'Cause I can."

"I like you." Said Tatenashi, "You're so funny."

"Mhm." Thomas said as he picked Ichika up.

* * *

Tatenashi stayed with Ichika until he woke up.

Thomas, however, was forced to sprint all the way to Laura, who'd been waiting for him at the arena.

"You're late. And vhere ish my bride?" Said Laura.

"In the Club building's infirmary." Thomas wheezed.

"Vhy vould he be zhere?"

"He got his ass beat by the Student Council President."

"Oh...Ish he okay?"

"Well, he was breathing when I carried him to the Infirmary, so I think so."

"Very vell zhen." Laura said as she stood up, and proceeded to walk out of the arena.

"What about..." Thomas was too winded to speak properly, "What abou...Training?"

"Ve vill put zhat on hold for now." Said Laura, as she made her way to the Infirmary.

Thomas simply slumped onto the bleachers, bored and lonely as he waited for Laura to get back.

That is, assuming she was actually coming back.

_A few hours later..._

It was nearly the end of the day that everyone remembered Thomas was still waiting for them.

Tatenashi decided to actually start training the boys, ushering them into the area field.

Conveniently, Charlotte and Cecelia were already beginning to practice there.

After lots of questions and introductions, Tatenashi decided to have the girls help teach Thomas and Ichika new maneuvers.

"Okay girls!" She said, "Demonstrate the Shooter-Flow for a Circle-Rondo Formation!"

The girls deployed their Units, and began to fly in a ring with each other as they hovered just above the ground.

They began to spin up a cloud of dust as they started going higher, and higher into the air.

"_En garde_, Cecelia!" Challenged Charlotte.

"Do your worst, villain!" Returned Cecelia.

The girls then took aim, and opened fire with their sniper rifles. They did so without breaking their ring, making advanced movements while still managing focus on their respected opponent.

They were at the top of their game, and Thomas marveled at it.

However, he didn't see Tatenashi whispering softly into Ichika's ear, causing him to jump.

Turns out, the girls were secretly monitoring Ichika as well, and were both distracted by Tatenashi's proximity to Ichika.

Their distraction caused them to crash into each other, and land painfully on the ground.

Thomas watched them crash into the arena wall.

"Ten outta ten!" He declared.

"Okay boys!" Said Tatenashi, "Pick a partner, because it's your turn!"

Ichika partnered up with Cecelia, and Charlotte reluctantly paired up with Thomas.

He knew why.

"I know you wanna be with Ichika and all," He said, "But it wouldn't kill you to put some enthusiasm into it!"

"_Oui_..." Groaned Charlotte.

"Ready or not, Ichika," Said Cecelia, "Here I come!"

With that, Ichika and Cecelia began.

"I will finish this quickly!" Said Charlotte.

"Good luck!" Returned Thomas, as the two began to fly. The four of them were forced to cope as Ichika and Thomas could feel just how jarring their formations were.

"This...is new..." Belted Ichika.

"I think I'm gonna be sick!" Cried Thomas.

"Good job, boys!" Cheered Tatenashi, "Now, let's see those big ol' guns of yours!"

Ichika brought out his Particle Cannon, and attempted to hit Cecelia. However, his aim was completely off due to his inability to focus his shots.

Thomas was in the same boat.

It was taking a lot out of him just to maintain his current heading and match Charlotte.

Cecelia decided to return fire at Ichika.

She scored a direct hit to his right foot, sending him spiraling uncontrollably out of alignment.

He crashed right into Thomas, taking them both down.

Thomas rolled to a stop at the opposite side of the arena, while Ichika simply made a crater.

Ichika had gotten right back up.

Thomas, on the other hand, was waiting for the world around him to stop spinning so fast.

Charlotte and Cecelia both went to Ichika.

"Ichika!" Cried Charlotte.

"Ichika dearest!" Cried Cecelia, "Are you alright?"

"M'fine." Ichika grunted as he got to his feet.

"I...I'm fine too...Thanks for asking!" Stuttered Thomas, right before nearly passing out.

"One more time!" Ordered Tatenashi.

Ichika and Thomas took their positions, and tried again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

When Thomas and Ichika were both on the verge of vomiting, Tatenashi decided to let up.

She certainly wasn't going to clean up if they did.

"Okay then," She asked, "Why do you think I put you two under this drill?"

"Is..." Ichika pondered, "Is this because of the Byakushki's new Charged Particle Cannon?"

"Correct!" Said Tatenashi, "Although, such a weapon is generally the same thing as a sniper rifle when you think about it. It all depends on that single shot. So, I wanted you to practice by-"

"-by putting me in a range I can hit something!"

"That's right! What a good boy you are."

Tatenashi turned to Thomas.

"Your case is actually different, though." She said, "Let's hear your answer."

Thomas thought long and hard.

"If I were to guess," Said Thomas, "You wanted me to practice frame-control?"

"Not quite, I guess it was a little too hard to work out." Said Tatenashi, "Not only did you need more practice on frame-control, but more importantly, you needed to get better at handling in general. From what I've heard, you can use different Shifts on command, and Instructor Orimura's told me about your habits of quickly using too many shifts at once. Think of it as a way of trying to stick with one at a time."

"Oh...Did...Did she say anything else?"

"Maybe~!" Snickered Tatenashi, "She's told me a lot about you~!"

Thomas did not feel safe anymore. If Tatenashi knew about his antics, he was definitely going to get it for sure.

"Well!" Tatenashi said, "That's it for today, have fun, boys!"

Thomas quickly left before the situation had a chance to deteriorate.

* * *

Thomas decided to have some food in the cafeteria.

Currently, he'd just finished, and was walking back to the dorm room. There wasn't much out of the ordinary. Normally, the girls would turn their heads everywhere he went. He'd also learned to listen for sounds and knock before using the restroom.

When he'd mastered such a strategy, he'd saved himself from getting mauled by girls in the bathroom so many times.

He felt quite satisfied. The day didn't end with Chifuyu somehow managing to torture him with fate. Tatenashi was nowhere in sight, which put Thomas a little on edge, and he hadn't had to deal with the girls fighting over Ichika all day.

Scratch that, something was _definitely_ wrong.

Thomas quickly became suspicious, and changed from walking to running down the hall to the dorm room.

He deployed both of his Revive's arms, just in case.

The dorm room was in sight...

...And the door was in splinters on the floor.

"For the luvva..." Muttered Thomas as he ran to the check inside.

Currently, Houki was standing in front of Ichika, and Tatenashi...

...Who was wearing a naked apron.

His face turned from panicked to angry.

"Houki..." He said calmly, "What did I tell you about breaking-and-entering?"

Houki turned around, confused.

"Don't do it?"

"That's right." Thomas said, "Now, you all have 5 seconds to clean up and explain yourselves, before I put you all on the side of the curb on Trash Day."

"Aw~! If it isn't the Muscular Teddy Bear-?!" Cooed Tatenashi.

Thomas suddenly had both Houki and Tatenashi tucked under his arms. His furrowed expression had gotten deeper, Houki began to panic, Tatenashi simply used a psychological tactic.

"Oh my! You're a bold man, aren't you?"

Thomas said nothing as he carried them to the balcony.

"I see..." Observed Tatenashi, "Wait...What're you-?!"

"AND STAY OUT!" Shouted Thomas.

Thomas then threw both Houki and Tatenashi over the railing.

"Are you insane?!" Cried Ichika.

"They'll be fine." Assured Thomas, and he recalled the Revive arms.

Sure enough, Tatenashi was riding on Houki while she flew away in the Akatsubaki.

"She's gonna do it again." Said Thomas.

"How d'you figure that?" Asked Ichika.

"Just wait and see."

* * *

_The Next Morning..._

Tatenashi wasted no time in drilling the boys with practicing the Circle-Rondo Formation.

Unlike before, the boys had to fly circles around poles, to get the measurements for their circumference and the radius to perfect the formation.

"Ichika!" Called Tatenashi, "Your off-center! Try to correct that now!"

"Right!"

Ichika was still distracted by last night.

"Your velocity is slowing!" Snapped Tatenashi, "Maintain your focus!"

"Understood!"

Tatenashi turned her focus on Thomas.

"Tommy!" She called, "You're way off! You need to tighten your circle, it's an oval right now!"

"Trying!" He called back.

She turned back to Ichika.

"Good! You've sped up!" She cheered, "Now, I want you to try using the Ignition Boost!"

"You want me to _what_?!" Cried Ichika.

"The Ignition Boost!" She explained, "You need to shift from the Shooter Flow's orbit to a straight line! You'll break the opponent's line of fire and you can hit them at point-blank range!"

"I can't just do that all of the sudden!"

"Do it!"

Ichika reluctantly did as he was told.

He made an Ignition Boost, and crashed right into a wall.

Thomas slowed down, and broke off as best as he could to help Ichika recover.

Tatenashi sighed.

"Here's a tip," She said, "You can't break the Shooter Flow while you're charging the Ignition Boost."

"Right...Simple..." Muttered Ichika, who was slowly losing whatever understanding he had.

"You both need to learn this," Encouraged Tatenashi, "So get back up, a try again!"

"Right!" Thomas and Ichika said in unison.

They'd figure it out, one way or another.

* * *

_During Breakfast..._

Ichika had his face on the table, Thomas was falling asleep while sitting up.

"Ichika? Thomas? Are either of you okay?"

"_Sacre bleu_!" Cried Charlotte, "You look like death, the two of you!"

"I _feel_ like death..." Groaned Ichika.

"And hat happened to zhe President?"

"Student Council business or somethin..." Muttered Thomas.

"You two got it rough! You just let her walk all over you." Said Lingyin.

"If it means I only have one coach, I'll roll with it." Thomas said as he finally pulled himself back into semi-proper sitting posture.

"She's right..." Admitted Ichika, "I'm still weak in some areas, I gotta work harder to get better."

"It is good to see you two working harder." Complimented Charlotte.

"I am still vaiting for our rematch, Thomas." Said Laura.

"Well Ichika darling," Offered Cecelia, "If you find your current living arrangements lackluster, I'm sure I can find it in my heart to let you be a guest in my quarters."

"Hang on!" Lingyin snapped, "If you wanna stay in my room, I have playing cards~!"

"I vill let you sleep vith me!" Said Laura.

"I've got Hanafuda Cards, Ichika!" Offered Houki.

"Oh, but I've got Tarot Cards in my room, just like the deck used in _Jojo's Bizarre Adventure_!" Upped Cecelia.

Back during the summer, Cecelia took notice of Thomas and Ichika planning to do _Jojo_ Cosplay, and did research. She quickly purchased a deck of Tarot Cards that were made to represent all of the Stands in _Jojo_.

"Sshhh! They're sleeping!" Whispered Charlotte.

Sure enough, Ichika was sleeping like a baby with his head resting on the table, and Thomas laid back in his seat, with his face towards the ceiling as they both slept like babies.

The girls giggled quietly.

The two boys never looked more adorable.

* * *

**A/N: And another chapter has been completed! I'm not gonna lie, this chapter may have been underwhelming. I've been planning the chapter for Thomas vs Laura Round 2, and it'll come soon enough! ****I'm a little surprised, I didn't expect this chapter to be as short as it is, compared to others.**

**I really don't know what else to talk about though. This is one of those periods I really don't have much to say...Oh wait! I do have a few more things to say!**

**In the next chapter, Thomas encounters someone he never expected...**

**I'll have to warn you though, next chapter's gonna be a full-on Jojo sketch!**

**Next time: Cinderella's Bizarre Adventure!**

**The School Festival is underway, and the boys are officially butlers! But, as the day moves along, Thomas quickly finds himself roped into an impromptu Cinderella play run by the Student Council! It's not an average play however, and Thomas quickly discovers he must fight for his life if he wants to get out of the play! He'll need his wits, brains, and brawn if he wants to survive!**

**Can he survive a brutal onslaught from the so-called "Strike Force Cinderella?"**


	13. Cinderella's Bizarre Adventure

**And here we are! A chapter I've been wanting to do for so long! This chapter's gonna be riddled with Jojo references, leave a review saying how many you spotted while reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**The School Festival has begun! Thomas and Ichika do their best as they fill the role of butlers for Class 1's Maid Cafe!**

**However, fate has other plans for Thomas, as Tatenashi comes up to Thomas in need of a favor.**

**Thomas ends up playing a major role in the Student Council's impromptu Cinderella play. Normally, Thomas would do what he can to make the best performance possible...**

**...Only he discovers that his role means he has to fight for his life and find a way to escape!**

**But when he thinks he's safe, Thomas realizes the other actors aren't the only danger he has to face...**

* * *

The day had started, and the School Festival had begun.

Thomas hadn't gotten the ideal amount of sleep, due to Ichika and Tatenashi somehow managing to smash open the door to the shower room while Thomas was eating dinner. Apparently, Tatenashi wanted a massage, and Ichika tried to lock himself inside the shower room, only to have Tatenashi blow up the door.

Thomas spent a good portion of the night trying to patch up the damage, to help bide for time until they could actually restore the room.

Thomas did his best to look acceptable, and prepared for the day.

Everyone was putting the finishing touches on the Maid Cafe, and the girls than took notice of Thomas's lack of grooming.

He had stubble, and looked like a mess. Sure, he'd always looked this way, but it was certainly unbecoming of a butler to look like an average schmuck.

The girls overwhelmed Thomas, restrained him, and began to groom him properly.

Thomas was terrified of the thought of very hyperactive and clingy girls with sharp objects near his head and upper-vitals. They'd shaved off his facial hair, applied makeup to hide the dark bags under his eyes, and trimmed his hair.

He now had a very clean face, and a lovely faux hawk hairstyle.

Despite his insistence on using the butler uniform from before, the girls had made him a completely new outfit.

His new butler outfit had been tailored to him, and had been sewn to be stretchy, allowing for maximum comfort and reach. And yet, it still looked absolutely elegant as Thomas wore it, managing to make the Maid Cafe itself swoon with delight.

They had Ichika and Thomas pose together as the girls all took lots of photos, no doubt for later use.

After a few minutes of preparation, the class had opened their Maid Cafe for business.

Thomas and Ichika wasted no time in wooing the patrons. Ichika went with his best Alfred impression, while Thomas used his best J.A.R.V.I.S. voice.

"Please, milady, this way." Said Ichika.

"I'll escort you to the finest seat available." Said Thomas.

The girls were all conflicted.

Who was the better butler? Thomas, or Ichika?

The two boys had prepared a few acts in secret. They'd perform little skits throughout the day to entertain the guests even further. They'd even secretly prepared other costumes they'd wear during each skit.

But now wasn't the time.

"I'll take your order whenever you're ready." Said Ichika.

"Do take your time in your selection, milady." Affirmed Thomas, "There's no rush."

They went on with their dreamy antics, posing and serving.

"Do come again, mistress." Said Ichika.

"Leave knowing that I will await your return faithfully." Said Thomas.

As the patrons left, they spread the news.

The line for Maid Cafe simply grew and grew, with no end in sight.

And they were all in line for the chance to get close to the boys, they didn't care whether they purchased food or not. The girls all wanted a chance to woo Thomas or Ichika, since they seemed so dreamy from the way they were described by the patrons.

"I heard you get to take pictures with them!"

"I hear there's a special where you get to feed them!"

"I just wanna touch them!"

"This is my one chance to get a man in my life!"

Currently, Ichika was escorting a girl to her table.

"I-I'll have the 'Treat your Butler' Special!"

"Very well then, madam."

Ichika left to get the special.

However, Thomas had seized the opportunity, and while Ichika was away, had brought the order to the girl.

"Hm?! You're not my-!"

"How foolish of you..." Sneered Thomas as he closed his eyes with a sinister face, "You thought Ichika would be the one for you..."

His eyes shot open, and he pointed his thumb to himself.

"...BUT IT WAS I, THOMAS!"

He laughed like a triumphant villain.

"Thomas!" Shouted Ichika.

"Hm?"

"How dare you take such an underhanded opportunity?!"

"Are you jealous? Envious that the patrons pay more attention to me?"

"You'll pay for trying to steal away patrons from me!" Cried Ichika as he charged forth.

Ichika tried to throw a punch, only to have Thomas block and counter.

"Do you wish to reenact our little sword match on my first day? Come then!"

Thomas and Ichika then took up fighting positions as everyone stopped to watch. The maids and patrons were confused, however, not understanding why the two would butt heads. The maids were stunned, since the fight wasn't scripted. And the patrons were shocked, already bearing witness to a clash to determine who out of the two of them was the best butler.

Ichika strut towards Thomas, their aura was menacing.

"Oh?" Sneered Thomas, "You're coming closer? Instead of fleeing, you're approaching?"

"I can't beat the shit out of you without getting closer!" Retorted Ichika.

"Oh ho!" Boomed Thomas, "Then come as close as you like!"

Little did they know that the boys were simply putting on a charade.

Thomas and Ichika traded blows, carefully timing their movements as to not actually hurt each other. Throughout the time they weren't constructing the Maid Cafe, or the costumes, they were practicing stage-fighting, perfecting methods of pretending to fight and make it realistic.

Thomas went on the attack, unleashing a series of jabs. Ichika blocked, and acted as though he was barely holding on. Finally, Thomas grabbed Ichika, and brought the boy's face on his knee.

However, instead of writhing, Ichika grabbed Thomas, and delivered a headbutt to his face.

"Gah! Impossible!" Cried Thomas, "You shouldn't even be standing after that blow to the head!"

"I draw strength from the love of my mistress!" Declared Ichika, as he seized the moment to deliver an onslaught of his own.

He finished with an uppercut, sending Thomas off his feet and crashing to the floor.

The patrons all clapped.

"Ichika's the best butler!"

"Best boy confirmed!"

"I want his babies!"

Ichika nearly broke character after such a remark. Thomas got to his feet, and dusted himself off.

"Ladies and ladies," He announced, "What you just saw was the act of two professional actors. There will be more skits throughout the course of the day. If you wish to see more, then please, don't hesitate to return!"

The patrons swooned. They were ecstatic hearing they'd see more of Thomas and Ichika entertaining them.

The maids were confused, since this decision was made by the boys. However, they were interested and wanted to see more.

Thomas and Ichika quickly returned to their services, overwhelmingly wooing each patron they served.

* * *

It'd been an hour or so, and the endless flow of patrons never ceased to continue.

Ichika and Thomas were doing what they could to give everyone a unique experience.

Despite their wits, they sometimes ran into trouble carrying out their character. Sometimes, the patrons would get a bit physical and clingy, and ended up in minor trouble with the staff of maids.

This wouldn't stop the boys, however.

Thomas and Ichika decided to start their next skit.

Ichika went to a set of curtains on one side of the room, Thomas did the same on the other side.

Suddenly, a samurai and a knight burst from the curtains, instantly grabbing everyone's attention.

The samurai had was snow-white in color, with navy blue gloves, boots, shin guards, a navy blue long, flowing cape, and twin blue katana sheaths. Without a doubt, the maids could tell it was Ichika, dressed in a costume that resembled the Byakushki.

The knight resembled a design similar to Azrael from _Batman: Arkham Knight_. However, the dominant color was a pine green, with a white cross on the knight's chest, he wore a green cape, and, instead of a hood and mask, and a single white scabbard. The knight wore a green templar helmet with a white cross on the face. The maids could easily figure out that if the samurai was Ichika, then the knight was Thomas.

"I am Sir Thomas!" Declared the knight, "The Knight of Servitude! I serve thy mistress well, whoever she may be!"

"Pitiful!" Taunted the samurai, "I am the Great Swordsman Ichika! I serve my empress most faithfully!"

"Calm yourself Swordsman!" Called Sir Thomas, "We've no quarrel with one another! We are warriors of the same purpose!"

"Maybe so...But I see it as destiny! If we are to be so alike, then it is a sign that we are fated to clash!"

"Yare Yare Daze...Come! If you wish to do battle, then so be it!"

Suddenly, Ichika closed the gap between them in the blink of an eye, and began to attack.

The battle of the samurai and the knight seemed so easily turned the the samurai's favor. So far, Ichika was only using a single katana, quickly overwhelming Thomas with quick and numerous attacks as he struggled to keep up.

The patrons and maids all watched, a captive audience of the suspense.

Thomas did everything he could, but he was simply out of his depth.

Statistically, the samurai had a longer reach with the katana than the knight with a mere sword. Although, the only reason the fight wasn't completely decided yet was due to the knight's chain mail under his clothes. However, his speed and agility was less than the samurai's. The samurai may have had weaker, leather armor, but it was lighter, and could still withstand a great deal of punishment.

However, Thomas had learned from the best. Although the majority would say playing video games doesn't count as actual training and experience, to Thomas, he'd learned more from video games than he'd learned from taking fighting instructions.

Ichika had been trained by the best. Unlike Thomas, who studied moves, Ichika had actual experience under his belt, easily putting him higher on a combat tier list than Thomas. Ichika was trained by both Chifuyu, and Houki. Despite the two never actually clashing with swords, it seemed as though the fight would easily be within Ichika's favor to win.

However, Thomas, despite lack of true experience, knew full well how to turn the tide.

He'd blocked a downward slash from Ichika, and pushed his opponent back. He spun around counter-clockwise. As he completed his rotation, he'd whipped his cape into Ichika, stunning the foe.

Quickly, he seized the advantage.

_(Song-The Last Stand-Sabaton.)_

With the whiff and wind of his sword, he'd quickly overwhelmed Ichika.

_Thy will be doooone!_

Ichika brought out his other sword, quickly overpowering Thomas with the advantage.

_For the Grace, for the might of our Lord!_

_For the home of the Holy!_

Suddenly, Ichika's onslaught knocked Thomas's sword out of his hands. Thomas fell to his knees. Ichika raised his right katana, ready to execute the knight.

_For the Faith, for the way of the sword..._

He brought the blade down...

...Only to have Thomas block it with the bracer on his wrist.

_Gave their lives so boldly!_

When designing the knight costume, Thomas had followed much of Azrael's design from _Batman: Arkham Knight_. He also made sure to take extra care to design the bracers. In fact, the design of the bracers was not only to counter blade attacks, but also break blades if need be.

Thomas had designed them to do so.

_For the Grace, for the might of our Lord!_

_In the name of his Glory!_

Thomas currently had Ichika's sword trapped by the bracer, and now had the range he needed to finish the fight.

Quickly, he used his foot to kick his sword up to his free hand, and spun clockwise around Ichika. He'd delivered a hay-maker to his opponent's back, and forced the foe to his knees. Thomas dashed to Ichika's front as the boy got back to his feet.

He took his sword, and held it upside down. Instead of holding it by the handle, he now held the sword by its blade.

_For the Faith, for the way of the sword..._

Thomas finished Ichika, bringing the hand guard of the sword down upon the pressure point on Ichika's neck.

_Come and tell their story again!_

"You fought bravely," Said Sir Thomas, "But none are able to defeat my chivalrous fighting spirit."

He helped The Great Swordsman Ichika to his feet, and the two of them bowed to each other.

Thomas was _definitely_ going to keep the knight costume.

* * *

As the boys quickly returned to their duties, the time was around 10:50.

After the Knight vs Samurai fight, the boys were getting requests to take pictures with girls in their costumes.

Ichika was currently serving Lingyin, who was taking a break from her own class's activity; A Chinese Cafe. Thomas was currently waiting for his next patron, as he zoned out while staring at the cafe as a whole.

He was really enjoying the attention.

Suddenly, a woman had entered the cafe, and went straight for Thomas. She had red eyes, and caramel-colored hair.

Thomas zoned back in, and prepared his act.

"Greetings, milady-?"

The woman held out a business card to him.

"Hello," She said, "My name is Reiko Makigami. Do you have a minute?"

The two sat down at an open table as they began to converse.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Miss Makigami?"

"Well," She said, "I was wondering if you'd sponsor my company by using our IS equipment on your Unit. It's a Rafale-Revive II, if I've been told correctly."

"It is." Said Thomas, raising his hand, "But I'm not really sure about doing endorsements while I'm still in school..."

"Don't worry about that!" Said Reiko, quickly grabbing and caressing Thomas's hand with both of her own, "Just take some time to think about it! How about additional armor? Or auxiliary thrusters? Light Blades? If you want to speak to my boss about it, I insist you do. After all..."

Her next line made Thomas suspicious.

"...My boss really likes you."

That had a number of implications. It easily made Thomas wary of Reiko, since there now was a potential incident waiting to happen.

"I see...Although..."

"Yes?"

"I'm going to have to ask you to refrain from holding my hand. We have explicit rules about physical contact between patrons and staff."

Reiko let go, a small pout on her face.

"And for your offer, I'll have to politely decline."

"What?! Why?!"

"Y'see, I keep a policy about sponsorship. I really don't think it's best to do any sort of endorsement until I graduate. If you want, we can arrange for that then..."

"No," Growled Reiko, "It's perfectly fine if you don't want to..."

"Excuse me ma'am," Interjected Takatsuki, the head maid, "But I'm afraid that the next patron is waiting for him."

"A thousand pardons," Said Thomas as he stood up, "But I cannot ignore the other patrons."

Takatsuki guided Thomas away, Reiko glared at the two of them as they walked off.

"One way or another, that boy's mine..." She muttered through grit teeth.

Reiko withdraws coolly.

Once the two were out of earshot, Thomas exhaled as he was relieved.

"That could've gone worse." He muttered.

"No doubt." Replied Takatsuki, "I've been hearing a lot about girls getting handsy with you and Ichika, is everything okay?"

"It's only about one-or-two on a rare occasion, so yeah. Y'know, a lot of people have been trying to get endorsements from me and Ichika recently. We both agreed not to do any of that stuff until we're graduated, but it doesn't seem to discourage people from trying."

"Being the only two known boys in the world who can pilot IS Units, I guess companies would definitely go for young kids, so they don't know better." Concluded Takatsuki, "Say, Student Council President Tatenashi's asked for you and Ichika if I remember..."

"Right I did!" Cheered Tatenashi, who appeared out of nowhere.

"What's up?" Said Thomas, as though it was totally normal.

Takatsuki yelped in surprise.

"M-Miss President!"

"Relax, sweetie, I just need to talk to Thomas for a little favor..."

* * *

Tatenashi guided Thomas to the locker rooms.

"What all this about now?"

"Well," Explained Tatenashi, "I'm requesting you to star as the lead for the Student Council's Interactive Play-!?"

"Stop. Stop."

"What?"

"Before we get any deeper into this...I just want to get some facts straight."

"Yes?"

"Okay. So after you decided to put on a play..."

"Mhm."

"You set up the script and the stageplay..."

"Yes."

"You decided to get me..."

"Uh-huh."

"And then propose that I play the lead the day of the premier..."

"Yeah."

"You decided the lead role should be played by some guy you literally pulled out of the blue."

"Yes." Answered Tatenashi, "Everything you just said pretty much sums it up."

"Just give me my damn costume." Deadpanned Thomas.

"With pleasure!"

Tatenashi handed Thomas a set of folded clothes, which appeared to be that of royalty, due to the purple decorations. Articles of clothing included a sash, white gloves, pauldrons, long white casual pants.

"Oh! I almost forgot." Said Tatenashi as she pulled out a crown.

"Make sure not to break this, it's the most vital part of the role!"

"Riiight..."

"Come out on stage when you're ready. It's all ad-libbed."

"I'm having second thoughts..."

"Consider this Chifuyu making good on her punishment for you then!"

"I see she cashed it in..."

"She did! You don't have a choice!"

"I see...This isn't going to be something enjoyable."

"That's for you to decide! Although..."

Tatenashi made a sinister giggle.

"I'm certain a 'man' with your skills can survive..."

With that, Tatenashi ran off to let Thomas change into his costume.

She had to make sure the recording cameras were all set up.

* * *

Thomas stood in the center of the stage, which spanned the entire IS Arena.

It was obvious he was in trouble.

The dome currently blocked out the sun, sealing the arena in darkness like a massive Roman amphitheater.

Whatever danger he would be forced to face, he chose not to fear it.

The dome turned from pitch black to a starry sky.

"_Once upon a time,_" Said the narrator, whom Thomas easily deduced as Tatenashi herself, "_There was a girl named Cinderella._"

Suddenly, two spotlights turned on Thomas.

Was he Cinderella?

"_But now..._" She continued, "_It's no longer just a name!_"

A screen of blacked out silhouettes of girls in frilly dresses fighting what appeared to be soldiers popped up.

Yeah, he was in deep shit.

"_Now, it is the name of those who gleefully bring down enemy soldiers in myriad ballrooms across the land! Their thirst for blood and carnage it unmatched! They revel in utter destruction! The most powerful warriors in the world..._"

It didn't take a genius to recognize the silhouette shapes.

If they belonged to who Thomas thought they did, he was in for one bizarre adventure.

"_They are Strike Force Cinderella!_"

"Coming to this school was a mistake..." Muttered Thomas.

"_Now watch, as Strike Force Cinderella dance around, targeting the military secrets hidden in the Prince's crown!_"

Thomas realized just what she meant.

He was wearing elegant clothing, white gloves, and a crown.

He breathed in, he breathed out.

"Yare Yare Daze...This might be a problem."

The spotlight shut off, the lights for the whole stage came on.

Currently, he was standing in what appeared to be the ballroom of a castle.

"_Once again,_" Boomed Tatenashi, "_The night of the bloodthirsty Cinderellas begins tonight!_"

It was only mere seconds before the girls began their attack, starting with Lingyin.

"The crown is mine!" She announced, as she leapt off a balcony. As she landed, she tried cleaving Thomas with a large machete. Thomas evaded with style and grace, his mind switching from very scared to his trademark "Jotaro Cool" style of behavior.

As he locked eyes with Lingyin, he shot her a glare.

"Alright buddy!" She ordered, "Hand over the crown and no-one gets hurt!"

Thomas remained silent, backed up against a pillar.

Lingyin hurled three throwing knives. Thomas quickly leaned to his left, narrowly evading the knives sinking into the side of his face.

"The hell?!"

"_Don't worry everyone!_" Assured Tatenashi, "_Everything's been made from safe materials!_"

_"She lies as naturally as she breathes."_ Thought Thomas as he quickly booked it.

Lingyin already had a one-up on him, that being anything that counts as a weapon.

He needed one too.

Quickly, he picked up a candle holder. Judging from thickness of the metallic components, it was just strong enough to block attacks. Lingyin threw more knives, only to have Thomas wack them away.

She then brought out her own machete, and cleaved the candle holder in two.

She brought up her leg for a devastating curb stomp, and not caring he skirt was exposed in the process.

"Oi!" Protested Thomas, "Your pantsu are showing!" He cried as he quickly made hand signs.

Lingyin brought down her heel, but smashed the floor instead of Thomas.

"You're wearing glass slippers," Observed Thomas, "Is that really wise?"

"It's fine," Said Lingyin, attempting to kick Thomas, "They're made from tempered glass!"

Thomas put distance between him and Lingyin. Despite how hard she could hit, her range was still limited by the dress she had to wear.

* * *

Ichika and Tatenashi sat in the pit control room.

"Isn't this a little much?" Asked Ichika.

"Instructor Orimura told me to punish him hard. I can't exactly do that by halves, now can I?"

"But he's way out his depth! He can handle a single attacker, but not an entire squad with weapons!"

"Clearly you don't know him then."

"Huh?"

"I noticed that little Tommy is quite calculative when fighting." Observed Tatenashi, "He's able to perform moves on a higher level than he should. He doesn't panic about how out of his depth he is, but rather what makes his opponents tick."

Ichika stared at Thomas on the monitor.

"Simply put," Assured Tatenashi, "All he needs is a single opening to turn things around."

"But the other girls-!"

"He's got this."

* * *

Thomas had quickly evaded the bite of Lingyin's blade.

Without warning, his left eye blinked.

Cecelia was targeting him.

He knew because the reason he blinked was due to a light hitting his eye. He could see out of the vapor in the air that what blinded his eye was a laser sight. It originated from an elevated position. Thomas cross-referenced the list of girls he knew who used snipers. Cecelia was by and large the most proficient of the bunch when it came to ranged sniping attacks.

Thomas's head twisted right, narrowly avoiding getting shot in the head.

"Is Cecelia really trying to pull a Mista on me?"

Thomas then narrowly evaded another shot to his head.

"Never mind. Stupid question."

Thomas ran right past Lingyin, dodging her without breaking the flow.

"Hey!" She snapped, unable to give chase.

Thomas raced to the curtains, and pulled one down. The flapping curtain provided the perfect cover for him to get to the door of the ballroom unseen. He needed to find a strategy.

Knowing his luck, he had to face Charlotte, Laura, and Houki as well.

Thomas rested on one of the pillars next to the ballroom door to catch his breath.

"I am _definitely_ going to collect on this favor." He growled under his breath.

He needed eyes on his opponents. The worst mistake to make in a fight would be to not know where your foe is. Thomas slipped out his phone, turned on the camera, and set it to selfie mode.

Cecelia looked with her scope as Lingyin finally wrestled her way out of the curtains.

"Drat," She grumbled, "He got away! That boy is too damn clever for his own good! It'd be a lot easier on him if he just handed over the crown to me!"

The girls all willingly participated in this play for a single reason.

Tatenashi decided, since she was punishing Thomas for Chifuyu, that she'd make him fight for his dorm room arrangements. Whichever of the girls managed to take the crown from Thomas during the play would replace him in Ichika's room. Although Tatenashi said she would do everything to keep Thomas safe from the lecherous parts of the student body, the girls felt uneasy about going through with the ordeal.

Although they all had some guilt for the deed, their drive to be with Ichika easily outweighed their guilt and justified their actions.

Cecelia didn't even consider Thomas's fate if he were forced out of the sanctity of the room he and Ichika shared. If he were thrown to the she-wolves, there'd be no way of knowing if Thomas would survive.

Not that such a thing was of concern at the moment.

"I'll apologize for this eventually," Muttered Cecelia, "But this is one battle I simply cannot lose, Thomas!"

She looked back through her scope.

Thomas noticed the light reflecting off the sniper rifle's shiny barrel, he'd located Cecelia using his phone's selfie camera.

However, Cecelia had found Thomas as well.

She'd seen the phone sticking out from the pillar.

"I have you know." She smiled.

Cecelia opened fire, punching a crack all over the phone's touchscreen. The sudden attack caused Thomas to fumble and drop the phone.

Judging from the damage, the vital parts of the phone, including the sim and memory card, were untouched. He could extract the data later, and get another phone. But Cecelia's shot was too close for comfort.

He was going to enjoy beating everyone senseless in this play.

Cecelia wasted no time in continuing. She fired more shots right through the pillar Thomas was hiding behind, missing each time. However, each time she fired, she was just even closer to hitting him.

She overshot him, thankfully.

Instead of hitting him, she moved to the right, and began shooting through holes through the door instead.

At this rate, she'd shoot his cover to the point it fell apart.

He needed to move, but out in the open environment, there was no cover for him to duck behind, he'd be a big bright blue target if he left, but he was screwed if he stayed. If he booked it, he still had a chance to survive.

"Thomas!" Called Charlotte from a bush nearby, "Over here!"

Thomas knew for a fact that Charlotte was trying to trick him.

However, his only chance was to run in her direction.

Cecelia had nearly shot the entire door to splinters.

Thomas leapt over the railing in front of him, and was now in the open.

The door exploded to dust and splinters as Cecelia finally caught sight of her target. Thomas ran a zigzag formation, reducing the risk of getting shot. However, each time he turned to another direction, the odds of getting hit while moving increased. Another danger was that Cecelia would get lucky, and shoot Thomas as he entered the line of sight down the middle of the zigzag.

Charlotte tried to give chase, as though she wanted to help...

...But Thomas knew better.

He ran right past her, but Cecelia got lucky, and struck him in the leg.

She was using rubber bullets.

Not lethal, but still painful.

Thomas fell right to the ground, writhing in his leg's agony.

Charlotte caught up.

However, instead of seizing her opportunity, Charlotte raced to put herself between Thomas and an oncoming hail of sniper rounds. She brought up what appeared to be a glass shield, and shielded Thomas from Cecelia's onslaught.

As soon as the bullets ceased, Charlotte put Thomas's arm around her shoulders, and carried him to safety.

She sat Thomas against a tree as he recovered from the injury.

He winced as he sat down, and put pressure on the injured area.

"M'fine." He cringed, "I can keep going."

"After that, you need to hide, they're bound to be right behind us!"

Thomas got to his feet.

"Wait! B-Before you go..." Requested Charlotte, "Can you leave the crown with me?"

"Sorry," He said, "But I know what my role is. If you're gonna try to take it, I dare you."

Charlotte jolted, trying to snatch the crown from Thomas's head before he could react.

Thomas knew what she would try to do, and quickly took the crown from his head and threw it aside to keep it away from Charlotte.

He then discovered why he wasn't supposed to take the crown off.

"_For the Prince,_" Piped up Tatenashi, "_His crown holds vital military secrets! To him, his country means everything! So should the crown ever be removed from his head..._"

Suddenly, Thomas's body cackled with electricity, shocking him as though he were wearing the receiving end of a taser.

"_...__He gets an electrically shocked by his own remorse!_"

Thomas whimpered in agony, the sting from the rubber bullet was gone, but that was because it was too painful for him to feel it anymore.

Charlotte was simply too unwilling to continue to grab the crown after watching the display. Thomas crawled all the way to the crown, and put it back on his head before he got shocked again.

"_Oh, bless his heart! The Prince is a true hero to his nation! Is his love for his country so great that he'd torture himself for it? How tragic! If he were up against mere common criminals he'd be fine, but he's to survive the lovely ladies of Strike Force Cinderella all trying to capture him! It's so terrifying, but all we can do is watch over him! How agonizing! It'd be comical if it weren't so tragic!_"

He pushed himself onto his knees.

"Shockingly," He spat back, "Repetition is just linguistically lazy!"

He turned back to Charlotte.

"Well, you heard the scary narrator lady," He said, "I'm not going through that again."

"That is not good..." Whimpered Charlotte.

"Curtains for you!" Snarled Lingyin, who'd finally caught up.

"You're in a dead end!" Shouted Cecelia, "Surrender!"

The two looked to the doorway of the ballroom, only to find Lingyin with knives in her hands, and Cecelia with her sniper rifle trained on them. Despite the renewed pain from pushing with his leg, Thomas leapt in front of Charlotte and grabbed her shield, blocking their assault.

There was no way the shield would withstand that much punishment for long.

Thomas thought quickly, and took out both Lingyin and Cecelia with his trademark calculated takedown.

He spun around, and threw the shield at Lingyin, who was hit right in the face by the attack.

That wouldn't take Lingyin out for long however.

Thomas ran up to Cecelia, quickly getting behind her. Before she could react, Thomas reached around her, and grabbed her sniper rifle but the butt and the barrel.

Without warning, he pulled the sniper rifle to him, causing it to forcibly smack Cecelia in the neck.

He spun her around, and removed one hand to push her out from his grip. The moment she turned back to him, however, he held the rifle by its barrel, and swung upward, causing the butt to smash Cecelia right in her jaw.

She nearly puked, Thomas had actually aimed to hit her behind the jaw, and force her to vomit.

Cecelia went down.

Lingyin just recovered, and already Thomas was upon her.

He took the rifle, and jabbed her in the belly with the butt. He brought the rifle up, smacking her in the face. He then ran and jumped up, and landed on Lingyin, forcing her to hit the ground hard.

She'd be down for a while.

Thomas got up, with the shield in-hand.

He then heard the sounds of someone cocking a rifle behind him.

"Surrender the crown!" Commanded Charlotte, finally getting back into the spirit of things.

"Yare Yare," Muttered Thomas. Moving quickly, he spun around, and wacked Charlotte with the shield, pressing her against the ground.

"What?" He asked, "You think this was the first time I tried being a Shield Hero?"

He then jabbed Charlotte in the neck. Charlotte dropped to her knees and grabbed her neck in pain.

Thomas simply ran, not wanting to fight any longer than he needed to.

He jumped off a cliff, into a crater.

He instantly buckled in the landing, and fell to the ground.

Thomas grimaced. His leg was still sore from the rubber bullet Cecelia shot him with. He wanted to stop. He needed to stop. He just couldn't find a way out of this fight. No doubt, Houki and Laura were around, waiting for him. He had to stop.

However, he'd keep going, just to spite them all.

Thomas forced himself to his feet, and limped off.

He smiled.

He could hear the entire room fill with uproar as the school girls all cheered him on.

* * *

The stage turned to nighttime as Thomas trudged his way up the stairs of a tall tower.

He'd just reached the top...

...Only to find Laura standing in the center, waiting patiently for him as she held two combat knives.

"I've been vaiting for you." Said Laura.

"Oh my God!" Said Thomas, "You don't say? I've been waiting for everyone else!"

"Zhe crown ish mine!" Said Laura as she lunged for Thomas.

Thomas blocked with the shield as he continued his banter.

"Y'know, if we were all in this, we really should've come up with a better schedule! Y'see, no-one communicated any of this with me, so you can imagine my surprise when you all pop up without warning!"

Laura grew frustrated, since Thomas wasn't taking the situation seriously.

"I mean, we could've gotten the gang together-!"

"Shut up!"

"Why're you getting so mad for? I'm just trying to talk to you!"

Laura growled louder.

Thomas resisted the urge to giggle. If he was going down, he'd go down with at least some sort of comfort.

Laura increased in ferocity, furiously trying to hammer Thomas down.

Eventually, she was able to hook her knives on the edge of the shield, and yank it out of Thomas's hand.

She then pointed a knife at Thomas, who was now defenseless.

"You cannot escape!" Declared Laura, "You are crippled, outmatched, and hopelessly defenseless. Now, surrender zhe crown to me."

* * *

Tatenashi giggled.

"Sorry, sweetie," She cooed, "Love's no fun without obstacles!"

She then pressed a certain button on the controls.

Ichika panicked.

"Are you serious?!"

"This is punishment, Ichika!" She affirmed, "He's not supposed to save himself!"

* * *

Suddenly, Thomas could hear the whistle of artillery.

He moved without thinking.

He snatched up Laura, ignored his aching leg, and ducked as he could feel the deafening boom and heat of artillery strikes right behind him. Laura was offset by the sudden move from Thomas, and quickly went into a haze of heart-racing frenzy.

Thomas would've helped her calm down, if he wasn't already doing his best not to blown to kingdom come.

"I am going to hit Tatenashi _so hard_ when this is over..." He growled.

He noticed a zipline.

The Student Council designed every aspect of the stage. This was rigged specifically for this purpose.

Thomas tucked Laura under his arm, weakly sprinting to the zipline, and grabbing a grip with his free hand.

"C'mon Laura!" He said, "Time to check outta this hotel!"

Thomas carried Laura the entire way down.

Laura wasn't used to being manhandled, and found herself very conflicted.

The moment Thomas's foot touched the ground at the end of the zipline, he gently dropped Laura and spun in a full 360 to cancel the inertia.

"Welp," Said Thomas, "That's all the time I've got. Time to go home and play on my new 3DS with all the new games!" He said as he hopped off.

The pain from the rubber bullet was finally wearing off, thankfully.

Thomas ran around to another tower, quickly scaling up the side by a ladder.

When he reached the rooftop, he saw his last opponent.

Houki stood at the far end of the roof, a katana in her hands and an angry look on her face.

Or rather, a normal look on her face.

She drew a second katana, and threw it at Thomas's feet.

"I'll play fair," Said Houki, "I'll give you at least a small chance to survive."

Thomas picked up the katana.

He breathed in, he breathed out.

Both of them knew there was a difference between fighting Ichika and fighting Houki. Ichika was a lot more lax in his technique, allowing Thomas to find some way of winning by overpowering him.

However, Houki was a lot stronger.

And Thomas didn't have any of the tricks up his sleeve this time.

This time, all he could was find a way to beat Houki on her terms. Thomas quickly rested the flat tip of the blade on the top of his fist, and gave Houki a glare in hopes of offsetting her.

"Do you understand?!" Snapped Houki, "Hand over the crown now, and you'll save yourself a beating from me!"

"Yare yare daze..." Muttered Thomas, "You don't have any exploitable flaws. In fact, I think you're by far the toughest, and the strongest of the girls in our friends' circle. I'd be terrified if I weren't so calm."

Houki blinked in confusion.

"However," Continued Thomas, "Boys...no..._Men_ like me have a certain philosophy when it comes to confronting girls."

He locked eyes with Houki.

"There's still...Just one strategy left."

"What?!" Said Houki, confused by Thomas's hype for one last technique.

"And that's..."

Suddenly, Thomas plunged his katana into the roof itself, cutting right through it as though it were made of tissue. He couldn't confront Houki directly this way, escape was his best, and only option.

"...To run away!"

Thomas fell through the roof, leaving Houki stuck with trying to find a quick way down that wouldn't disable her.

Thomas was writhing in absolute agony.

Doing the stupid thing was stupid for a reason.

He needed to quit writhing, and get on his feet. If he was right, the girls would all converge on his position very soon.

He needed a trick only a magician could think of...

Thomas looked around the room.

Nothing other than the usual, curtains, candlesticks, suits of armor-Wait.

There was a suit of armor on display right behind him.

Suits of armor were something he could use.

The girls bust through the door as though it wasn't even there.

"You've been got, Thomas!" They declared, "Give up! You know you can't win against us!"

Thomas quickly whipped around, and grabbed the suit of armor with both hands. As he turned back to the girls, he lifted the armor over his head. He threw with all of his might, the cladding of the armor coming undone and flying in a cluster at the girls.

They were so preoccupied with the attack, they didn't notice Thomas stuffing something under his coat.

Thomas ran, and jumped right through a window, rolling as he landed outside.

He needed a place he could hide. In order to enact his strategy, he needed a place where no-one, not even the audience, could see him.

The girls were still in the room, trying to figure out where Thomas escaped to. At most, he'd only have a few seconds to get further out of sight and range before they caught wind of his trail.

Where? Where could he hide?!

There were cameras recording his every move, that much he could tell. It was most likely how the girls were able to find him every time.

He needed a blind spot. Somewhere where the cameras couldn't see.

Thomas looked to the tallest tower on the stage.

It was his best option.

* * *

_A minute later..._

"You think he escaped?" Suggested Ichika.

"No. The only way out is through the locker rooms under the stage, and we covered them up so he couldn't find them." Muttered Tatenashi.

"Last I saw, he was at the tallest tower, but he vanished at the base!" Said Ichika.

"He must have a plan of some sort." Considered Tatenashi.

"How?"

"He looked a bit distorted after he threw that armor display. I don't know why, but it looked like something was under his coat on his back.

"Weird."

* * *

The girls had all teamed up temporarily to locate Thomas.

They'd settle their argument after they'd secured him, but they needed him first.

However, Thomas-as crafty as he was-had already managed to cease being observed by seemingly anyone. The cameras lost him, the audience couldn't see him, and the girls-despite searching everything they could see-couldn't locate him.

They didn't wait very long for him to appear again, however.

It was Cecelia, in the ballroom who found him.

She saw his pant-leg move behind a curtain.

"Aha! I've caught you!" She announced, "The is like Hamlet! You're behind the curtains, like Polonius. And like Polonius, there you shall meet the end!"

Cecelia threw open the curtains, only to be greeted with a controlled explosion.

Although it didn't harm her, it disoriented her greatly.

The crowds were in awe.

Was this Thomas's doing?

Thomas raced through the smoke cloud created by the explosion, completely ignoring Cecelia.

The boy had constructed something of a smoke bomb with whatever thing he could grab, and set it off in Cecelia's face.

He'd purposely drew her in.

Thomas ran outside the ballroom, running near the trees. His wounds had finally stopped hurting, and he began to run with such a spring in his step, all the girls could see was a champion making a victory lap.

The audience went into an uproar.

"_Once again,_" Announced Tatenashi, "_Our beloved Prince had managed to escape the clutches of Strike Force Cinderella! There was only a single reason he'd be able to continue his seemingly vain attempts to resist their temptations!_"

"_It's the love of his country!_" Joined in Ichika, "_The love of his country is the only true romance in his life! To the Prince, the country was the loveliest maiden in all the world! He helped her children-her people prosper. And so, the Prince found himself married to his country! The Prince's crown being a testament to that love! To cast away the crown would mean disavowing his lovely wife!_"

The audience swooned over Ichika's interpretation.

Thomas, who'd listened while running, smiled.

He'd definitely ask for a copy of the play recording when this was all over.

The girls were all beginning to converge upon Thomas.

Just as he planned.

Houki had managed to catch up to Thomas as he ran. She raised her sword, aiming to trip Thomas by making a light sweep of her blade at his ankles. That way, she wouldn't have to get too violent.

However, Thomas had other plans.

He quickly removed his sash, and threw it at Houki, who'd become blinded as the sash went into her face. The quick deed had caught her unawares, and she wound up tripping on her own dress and falling over.

Thomas spied Charlotte a few meters ahead, her PDW pointed right for him. She'd planned to take out both of Thomas's legs this time. She'd have to make sure to his a pressure point to open up enough time for her to effectively stop him.

Thomas had learned from before.

But he'd also studied Batman's battle tactics.

Without stopping, before Charlotte pulled the trigger, Thomas took off his coat. He'd made sure to keep the right sleeve on, and only took out his left arm. He'd grasped the coat with his right hand.

Charlotte opened fire.

Thomas jumped into the air, throwing up his coat in front of him.

The coat had masked Thomas as he curled up into a ball in midair. Charlotte opened fire with her PDW, each shot going right through the coat, but not actually hitting Thomas. He'd used one of Batman's most used strategies.

The coat, in this context, served as a misdirection function. As Thomas curled behind it, he'd masked his body. Charlotte, in truth, couldn't actually tell where Thomas's body was, and couldn't aim properly.

Thomas ran past Charlotte, violently draping the coat over her face as he continued.

As of now, all Thomas had left on his upper-torso was a vest, a dress shirt, leather cuffs, and gloves.

At least, that's what was visible.

Thomas slowed down, trying to catch his breath before Lingyin and Laura could attack. Quickly, he took off his gloves, and filled them with pebbles. He then placed the gloves in his pockets.

He'd need them for later.

Suddenly, Thomas was forced against a tree behind him.

Lingyin had used blunt ranged attacks, and pinned him against the tree with bolas, and tied him down.

The binds that held him were quite weak, Thomas could tell their tensile strength was pitiful. All he had to do was push away from the tree, and they'd come apart without struggle. Although it'd only take a small flex of his muscles to break free, this imprisonment had secretly opened up an opportunity for Thomas.

Lingyin smiled, she finally caught Thomas.

"There's no way you can escape me now!" She sneered, "The crown is mine and there's nothing you can do!"

"_Oh no!_" Cried Tatenashi, "_The Prince is trapped! Could this be the end?!_"

Lingyin brought in her machete, ready to cut the crown clean off his head.

Thomas was smiling however. He chuckled as his eyes were closed.

"What's so funny?"

"Well, since I have a look of confidence about me..."

He locked eyes with Lingyin.

"...This is a grin of victory."

"In your dreams!"

"You're next line-" Said Thomas, "Is, 'Curtains for you!'"

"Curtains for-What the heck?!"

"Now you're gonna say, 'How could you have possibly called it?!'"

"How could you have possibly called it-What the actual fuck?!"

"You want this crown, then take it from my head if you dare!"

"Fine! By! ME!"

Lingyin's machete swung in for the blow.

_(Song-Fukutsu ~Mushin no Sakebi~-Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.)_

"But," Countered Thomas, "You might find..."

Suddenly, Thomas made a high standing kick aimed right at the blade.

"...You're in for quite a shock!"

With the roll of his head, the crown fell to the ground. Thomas's body cackled with electricity all over. However, unlike before, Thomas seemed unaffected by the electric charge, as he kicked the tip of the machete with the tip of his foot.

The blade conducted electricity perfectly, giving Lingyin the shock of her life.

Lingyin jumped back in pain, stunned by the unnatural counterattack.

"_Oh my!_" Cried Tatenashi, "_What a brain! Using his own emotions to fight the forces of evil! He just turned a defensive move into an incredible counterattack! Who would think of such a thing?!_"

Thomas finally pushed onward, snapping the cables that tied him to the tree.

"My heart belongs to my dear, loving country!" He declared, "My every move is a symphony of her beauty! Even if it means I must abandon her romantic graces, I will fight for her! I am willing to do anything to be her champion, can you say the same?!"

With his electrically-infused fists, Thomas unleashed a flurry of punches at blinding speeds. His arms became mere afterimages, as he fired away at Lingyin. Lingyin was still reeling from Thomas's counter, and was absolutely devastated by Thomas's assault.

**"Sunlight Yellow Overdrive!"**

Thomas moved so quickly, it seemed almost superhuman in nature.

With a powerful haymaker, Thomas sent Lingyin flying.

**"ORA!"** He declared as he'd sent her back.

Thomas quickly raced to Lingyin, and caught her before she hit to ground, setting her down gently.

But how did Thomas manage to negate the electric shock? Each time he took off the crown, he'd be shocked senseless!

Laura stepped up to face him.

She'd gotten him off-guard, and would've taken him in a single blow. For some reason however, she stopped mere centimeters away from touching him. Thomas leapt back to retrieve the crown, and keep watch on Laura.

"Whats wrong?" He demanded, "I thought you would've defeated me, and stolen the crown!"

"I know vhat you done to protect yourself!" Declared Laura, "You've adorned something under your clothes, and safely conducted the electricity around you, like a high-voltage Faraday harness!"

"That's right!" Answered Thomas, pulling up his shirt to reveal the truth.

Thomas had somehow managed to put on chainmail armor.

He'd also taken measures to place it carefully under his clothes, in order hide it way.

"But how?! Vhere did you get chainmail armor?!" Demanded Laura.

"Simple!" Explained Thomas, "When you all had me cornered, I threw the suit of armor at you! however, while you were distracted, I secretly took the chainmail armor from the mix, and stuff it under my coat as I escaped! And, that time that I managed to hide from all observation was when I'd put the chainmail on under my clothes! And now, I have the chance to properly fight back!"

The crowd was in awe.

* * *

"I see...What a smart boy." Cooed Tatenashi.

"But...How'd he-?!"

"Simple!" Explained Tatenashi, "His costume was outfitted with an apparatus designed to shock him when he took off the crown. I suspect he figured this out, and, when he put on the chainmail, he used it as some sort of lightning rod to safely conduct the electricity around his body, rather than through it. The chainmail in this case can not only help counter attacks, but act like a Faraday cage!"

"I see.."

"However..."

"What?"

"It's risky. The chainmail can protect him from things like swords and knives, that's obvious. However...Chainmail is too easily penetrated by ranged attacks."

"You mean...?"

"They can still shoot him."

"Oh no..."

"They won't get the chance, however."

"Why not?"

"Well," Snickered Tatenashi, "It's almost time for the interactive part of the play!"

* * *

Thomas put the crown back on his head.

That trick won't work twice.

Laura came down upon with her knife underhanded. Thomas quickly countered by grabbing her wrist, and forcing her to poke herself in a sensitive area of her belly. He quickly ran off afterward, in need of another advantage.

Most of the other girls most likely recovered by now.

A sniper round flying right across his face confirmed that.

Thomas stumbled and tripped to a stop, the crown falling off his head as he hit the ground face first.

The girls all regrouped, with a still-disoriented Lingyin in tow.

"You've lost!" Declared Cecelia, "You're clever, I'll give you that. Excellent use of the electric shock, and ingenious use of other resources. But you're cleverness is useless! Useless, useless, useless, useless, useless, useless, useless, USELEEEESS!"

Cecelia aimed her rifle, and pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

Cecelia had realized she was out of ammo. Houki pushed her aside, and smiled at Thomas.

"You're done!"

Thomas removed the crown and strung it on his shirt.

Houki brought Lingyin's machete down upon him. The crowd all gasped. Everything fell silent, and froze. The chainmail was designed to block most attacks, but could it really withstand the sharp cut of a machete?

They didn't have to find out.

Thomas had caught the blade just before it could strike him down. The blade was caught between his palms, and refused to budge. Thomas quickly twisted the katana out of Houki's grip, and kicked her away.

Charlotte raised a PDW, running to Thomas's right.

He had to think quickly, his coat wasn't here to save him again.

Thomas dropped the sword, and pulled the gloves out of his pockets. Acting faster than Charlotte could see, or even think, he threw his gloves at her, spraying pebbles as they traveled through the air.

Charlotte quickly brushed away the pebbles as best as she could.

She left her self open.

Thomas picked up the machete, and rushed in with the stance of a knight.

The crown was still off his head, and with his touch, electricity conducted itself through the blade. With Charlotte still distracted by the pebbles, he had just enough time to disarm her.

He turned to sharp front of the machete towards him, and slashed upward. In the process, he'd cut right through Charlotte's PDW, rendering the weapon useless. He then brought the hilt of the machete down upon Charlotte's pressure point, taking her down.

As Charlotte fell, Thomas dropped the blade, and caught her, setting her down gently.

He still had to be a gentleman, after all. It would be unbecoming of him to not help a woman in her time of need.

In the process however, the crown came off his shirt, and fell to the ground.

The remaining girls all took positions against him.

The crown was 2 meters away from Thomas, to his left.

"Vhat vill you do now? All of your strategies were only useful for a single-use, there is no tactic left!"

Thomas stood undaunted.

"I've got a plan." He stated.

The crowd gasped. The girls gasped. Ichika gasped. Tatenashi was too curious to gasp.

_(Song-Overdrive-Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.)_

What could Thomas possibly have up his sleeve now?

"I was planning on saving it as a last resort, since I'd already used it before..."

"Did I hear him right?"

"Uh-huh." He confirmed, "One last all-or-nothing gambit!"

"All-or-nothing gambit you say?!" Cried Laura.

"Yeah." Thomas said confidently, "It's my final move."

"Vhat does it invlove?!"

Thomas gave the girls a confident smirk, and chuckled with his mouth closed.

_"You can run if you want." Dared Koichi, "As long as my luggage is safe, I don't care."_

_"However," Continued Thomas, "Boys...no...Men like me have a certain philosophy when it comes to confronting girls."_

_"There's still..." Said Thomas, "One strategy left."_

_"The Kujo family...No, the Joestar family has a certain philosophy when it comes to fighting." Said Jotaro._

_He glared._

_"There's still...One strategy left."_

_"I, Joseph Joestar, have been in a number of situations like this. " Said Joseph._

_"I have one last plan!" Announced Joseph._

_"One last all-or-nothing gambit!"_

_"It's my final move!"_

_"I save it for last."_

_"Time to use my legs!"_

_"M__y legs are perfectly healthy. So, I'll use my legs!"_

_"That's our ticket right there."_

_"So, what're you gonna do?" Asked Smokey._

_"Did I hear you right, Jojo?" Asked Speedwagon._

_"Listen up! Do it 'till your last breath!"_

_"I have to just burst right through!" Snapped Josuke._

_"I have to..." Said Josuke._

_"And that's..." Started Jotaro._

_"And that's..." Joseph's words echoed in the back of his head._

_"To..." Muttered Joseph._

_Joseph gave Kars a confident grin._

_Joseph turned away from the diner._

_Star Platinum smashed a hole right through the floor._

_Giorno gave Koichi a grin._

_Joseph chuckled, and lunged._

Thomas whipped around, and lunged.

He snatched the crown, and sprinted at full speed right away.

**"NIGERUNDAYO!"**

* * *

"Aw man!" Cried Ichika, "I knew he was gonna do that!"

Tatenashi simply sat back.

She was definitely going to get the school to distribute copies of this play.

* * *

The girls all roared, and gave chase.

However, no-one could catch up to Thomas this time. No matter what they did, Thomas always remained a veritable distance ahead.

Thomas ran into a forest.

Charlotte pulled out another PDW, and opened fire at Thomas's back.

All the girls who carried weapons that had ranged attacks all opened up on Thomas as he ran through the forest. Thomas was barely able to evade getting shot for a while, and nearly took a throwing knife to the head.

He pulled Lingyin's machete from his belt, and in a single stroke, cut down three trees in front of him without stopping.

The girls stopped abruptly in order to not be crushed by the falling trees blocking their path.

Thomas threw away the machete into a random bush, and put the crown back on his head. He ran all the way through the forest, and reached the clearing on the other side of the trees...

...Only to find a dead end.

"Oh my God..." He muttered.

Currently, he was surrounded from behind by the forest, and the girls, who were still trying to catch up. His front was blocked by a wall from the palace. His only chance was to start climbing.

Thomas quickly scaled the wall all the way to the roof without looking back.

He sighed.

"What time is it?"

He'd left his watch with his clothes in the locker room, and was unable to tell the time. It'd felt like hours, due to the excessive layer of sweat on his skin. At most, the current time had to have been 1:00 in the afternoon.

At least, he hoped it was.

He really wanted to get back to the Maid Cafe. Who knows what had happened in his absence. He had to get back there and make sure that nothing bad had happened to the Maid Cafe.

But first, he had to find a way out of this sub-par _Disney_ production.

"_Don't think it's over just yet!_" Boomed Tatenashi, "_And now, it's time for the Interactive Play's walk-in contestants to participate! Join in on the fun as one of the Cinderellas trying to get the Prince's crown!_"

"OH NO!" He cried.

A drawbridge leading outside the stage fell open, releasing a massive horde of girls into the stage.

As soon as all the walk-in participants were on the stage, the drawbridge was then reeled back up, sealing them all inside.

Thomas stopped down and sat. He was wheezing, badly. He was currently covered in a whole layer of sweat on his skin. He was also exhausted, his legs had been already pushed to the brink, and felt as though they'd cramp at the knees any moment.

There was no way out.

Tatenashi was a professional.

Thomas could tell that she was smart when planning things. As of now, the situation was currently 99% unwinnable, with there being no exits, and nothing being designated for Thomas.

He _could_ use the electrical shock, but he didn't want to hurt any students who were walk-in participants. The only weapons he knew of were in the hands of the girls playing Cinderellas. He'd already used almost all of his countermeasures. Running away might not work this time, there were simply too many.

His best chance was to find a locker room door, but they were all covered and masked as part of the grassy turf, rendering it impossible for him to have time to dig around for an exit.

It was only a matter of time before he was worn down, and overwhelmed. Ichika's little harem was easy enough for him to handle, since it was only a group of 5 girls he didn't feel bad about fighting.

However, Tatenashi had let loose a massive legion of average schoolgirls. Sure, Thomas could take them. But, they had numbers, desperation, and worst of all; Their lust for him being the driving force.

What could he do?

Was he really losing the will to keep going?

He could hear them, all converging upon his position.

"Stay still, Scott~!" Cooed one girl from afar.

"He's mine, all mine!" Shouted another.

Their footsteps were nearing the base of the palace. It wouldn't be long before they'd scale the wall, with whatever they'd use to climb.

Thomas was spent. He didn't even try to stand up.

He had no strategy left this time.

Was this the end?

"_As the chase carried on,_" Spoke Tatenashi, "_The Prince found his strength diminishing rapidly! It felt as though the unbeatable Strike Force Cinderella was an army! Whatever he tried, there were just too many of them for him to fend off all on his own! He could only pray to the Heavens that he'd be saved, despite knowing that no-one was coming to save him!_"

Thomas realized just how exhausted he was. He tired getting up, preparing to run, only to fall onto his back. He didn't fall from being struck down, but rather, that he simply didn't have the strength to get back up.

He lay there, waiting for the end to come.

By his predictions, the horde was at best halfway up the side of the wall. They'd only gotten this far so slowly due to infighting, trying to get ahead of each other.

"_Is this the end of our beloved Prince?! Oh, the horror! The suspense! I can't watch, but I'll watch anyway!_"

Thomas closed his eyes. It was offsetting how quickly he did, as they felt so heavy.

He could feel himself slipping away.

"_If only there was someone to save him! A hero, man or woman, in shining armor who would rescue him from the she-wolves! But there was none! No-one was there to save the Prince from this tragedy!_"

By now, the horde was probably reaching the roof.

It seemed to the crowd that it was all over.

Reiko, who'd been watching at the back of the audience, turned away, and quickly vanished.

"No!" Cried one audience member, who shot up from her seat, "Keep going, Prince!"

Suddenly, a trend had begun.

Girls all began to stand up out of their seats, and cheer their dashing Prince to keep going in his darkest hour. Never before had the girls all unanimously come together, and petition such a champion to continue his struggle.

"Your country needs you!"

"Get up, Prince, GET UP!"

Ichika himself was calling out to encourage Thomas to get up. Thomas was pretty sure people were crying at this point. But the poor boy simply couldn't move. Any time he tried, his sore joints would buckle, not even getting off the ground.

Had he finally given up?

The girls had began to finally set foot on the rooftop.

"Let's make a happily-ever-after, my dear Prince~!" Giggled one girl.

"You're all mine, now~!" Cooed another.

If he could get to his feet, Thomas calculated he had a single second to act.

A single second to save himself, and turn back the tide!

What did he used to do when the doubt was creeping in?

The girls inched closer.

One girl reached for Thomas.

With the big failure staring at him in the face...

...Thomas found that his will to fight onward sprang into action!

Thomas snatched her by the wrist.

"Sorry in advance." He apologized.

Right after, he used his entire body to throw the girl at another group of oncoming girls. Using the momentum he'd built from doing so, Thomas quickly spun around on his back, and made an acrobatic flip onto his feet!

The crowd flooded the room with tears of joy, now that their heroic Prince had finally pulled himself together.

They once again roared with awe.

"That's our Prince!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"For your country!"

Thomas, despite knowing he'd feel guilty later, quickly countered each and every girl attempting to touch him. He knew it'd only be mere seconds before the girls would overwhelm him.

However, behind him was a long drop to the ground.

He then remembered another lesson from _Burn Notice_.

He could take the drop.

Thomas turned tail, and with only a mere second's hesitation, began a mad dash for the end of the roof. The girls gave chase, blind to the danger by their lust. Thomas knew full well how to escape.

His plan heavily relied on the hope that all the girls were on the roof, rather than scattered around the stage.

Honne, one of the participants, realized what Thomas was doing.

"Wait, Tommy Teddy!"

Thomas didn't stop.

He ran at full speed, and jumped right off the roof.

Time slowed down.

Could he stick the landing? Why have second thought now? Why did he do this in the first place?!

No sense in contemplating the why, but much rather the how.

Thomas readied himself for the landing.

He hit the ground on his toes, and rolled right into a sprint as he raced to safety. The girls realized their actions, and did their best to slow down before the ran right off the roof and hurt themselves.

Thomas laughed joyfully once he was out of their sight.

That actually worked!

But that wouldn't stop them for long, he had to find an exit, fast.

Thomas ran to the opposite side of the palace, buying himself time before the girls all found him again. As he ran, he didn't notice something of a trapdoor open right in front of him.

Without warning, an arm reached out and snagged Thomas's ankle.

He was then pulled through, and the trapdoor snapped shut.

No-one above was the wiser.

* * *

Thomas hyperventilated.

"Shhh..." Cooed Reiko, "If we keep quiet, they won't find you in here."

Thomas's breathing calmed down, as he sighed with exhaustion.

"T-Thanks for..." Thomas stopped.

He'd just gotten a good look at his savior.

Reiko Makigami.

Thomas realized he was in trouble.

Reiko was a corporate businesswoman. Although visitors were allowed during the school festival, there was no reason for a businesswoman to be lurking around inside of the Academy's locker room.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what was wrong.

"...The save." He finished.

"Your welcome, sweetie~!" She cooed, turning to face him.

"So," He panted, still exhausted, "Mind telling me what you're after?"

"You're so smart!" She said cheerfully, "You caught me red-handed~!"

"I won't ask three times. What. Are. You. After?"

"Well," Explained Reiko, "I thought I'd take this time and opportunity to abduct you and steal your Rafale-Revive as a bonus!"

"Why as a bonus?"

"What I'm saying," She snapped, "Is you're coming with me, whether you want to or not!"

She attempted to unleash a kick, only to have Thomas catch it, and flip her onto the ground.

Reiko rolled back onto her feet quickly, however.

"You're so precious~!" She swooned, "The way you fight back so pointlessly is adorable! I'm going to enjoy it when I bring you home with me!"

Thomas was at a serious disadvantage.

As he countered her kick, he could feel how much stronger than him she was. He needed to deploy his Revive. However, he'd also taken off his Revive pendant when he put on the costume.

And it was doubtful that Reiko was going to give him enough time to find his locker.

Reiko sighed.

"I guess I'll have to be a little violent if I'm going to bring you home."

Thomas gave her his trademark glare.

_(Song-Roundabout-Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)_

**To be continued.**

* * *

**A/N: Wow, this is my longest chapter yet! And, not only did I make a ton of Jojo references, I also made a few references to things like The Bumblebee Movie, Rising of the Shield Hero, and I think more!**

**Go ahead, and leave a review telling me how many references you got!**

**I want to make Ichika and Thomas's warrior costumes a recurring thing, which will happen eventually. But for now, I'll go into detail about their appearances!**

**The Great Swordsman Ichika: A set of samurai armor constructed with tough leather for mobility and protection, and two katanas with blue sheaths, despite usually only using one. Mostly white, with navy blue accents. The idea was that it was reminiscent of the Byakushki's color scheme.**

**I went with this idea since it seems fitting for Ichika to be a samurai, and it'd look pretty cool if he was too.**

**Sir Thomas, Knight of Servitude: A set of knight armor mostly designed similar to Azrael's costume in **_Batman: Arkham Knight_**. Instead of a hood and mask, he wears a green Templar Knight helmet. The armor is colored green, with a white cross on the chest. The idea was to represent his Rafale-Revive, but in a way that seems more modern.**

**I used Azreal's costume for most of the shape, since he seems like a "modern knight" is design.**

**Next time: Spectacularly Amazing.**

**Thomas finds himself trapped with a dangerous woman! But all the while, He wonders what the attacker's questionable motives are. Rather than his IS data, she want to abduct him. With seemingly no way out, Thomas finds his back to the corner.**

**But can he find a way to save himself?**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	14. Spectacularly Amazing

**I'm shocked that I made one of my longest chapters yet last time, I wonder if I can set an even higher record!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**Thomas finds himself thrown from the frying pan and into the fire! Reiko Makigami reveals her true colors, and makes an attempt to abduct Thomas as the Cinderella play is in a state of confusion!**

**But Thomas finds his attacker's motives distracting, as he tries to deduce why she's targeting to abduct Thomas, rather than steal the data from his Rafale-Revive.**

**Can Thomas pull himself together and focus? Or will he find the answers to his questions the hard way?**

* * *

"Y'know, cutie-pie," Cooed Reiko, "If you want to stop struggling, I'll be gentle~!"

"Fat chance!" Spat Thomas.

Reiko looked hurt.

"I...See. I guess I'll have to force you to come with me."

"Reiko Makigami's an alias. So, wanna tell me your real name? Or should we start with business cards."

Reiko currently caught Thomas unawares. The locker room lights were turned off, making it harder for Thomas to see the locker labels. His clothes, his watch, and his Revive pendant were in his locker.

He needed to bide for time.

Thomas had already mapped out the locker room, and since he was all disoriented, he needed time to deduce the exact location of his locker.

"Well," Swooned Reiko, "It would appear to you, that I'm a mysterious beauty-"

Her back began to bubble outwards, and a set of six metal spider legs burst out.

"-Disguised as a corporate business woman! Gosh, aren't you just a lucky boy~?"

"No, I am not." He cracked.

"Why haven't you deployed you Unit already?" Pondered Reiko, "Unless..."

He was now out of time to bide for.

"...You don't have it with you! Oh, how sad! Don't worry, since you're clearly unable to do anything for yourself, I'll bring you home, and become the mother you never had! When I've secured you, I'll help you find your lost IS Unit~!"

Thomas paused.

Reiko wasn't a businesswoman, most likely an underground criminal. It appeared that she had her own IS Unit, albeit spider-themed. But most importantly, she knew one detail that shouldn't be such common knowledge.

She knew about his family.

Sure, Thomas wasn't exactly secretive about the details, but there was no reason a complete stranger would know about such an exposing detail.

This encounter was a dangerous one, to be sure, but an insightful one.

The locker room was soundproofed. That meant that Thomas couldn't call for help. And, with the Cinderella play still going on, it's not like they'd actually hear him trying to call for help anyway.

One spider limb shot right for Thomas's head. The twisted his head right to avoid it.

"Don't worry...I promise not to hurt you _too_ badly..." Taunted Reiko, "I'm only trying to make this quick, so we both don't have to deal with the consequences for dawdling! Seriously, that little shtick of yours is getting stale! I don't want to hurt you!"

"Great idea," Said Thomas, "We don't have to do any of this at all if you don't want to-?!

Suddenly, Reiko's clothes exploded off her body, as she was enveloped in a blinding light.

Thomas felt like a flashbang went off in his face.

The moment he could see again, he saw Reiko sitting in what appeared to be a custom IS Unit.

"Hang on..." He realized, "That's the Arachnae!"

"My, my!" Said Reiko, "I see you know your stuff."

"Supposedly, it's a 3rd-Gen prototype. However, it's completion should've been long ago! There's been questions on its development..."

It all made sense to him now.

"...But I guess now I know why there're no answers."

"Oh? This ol' rig? I've had it for a while now!"

"But," Said Thomas, as he began to try and get out of Reiko's sight, "It'd be nice to have a name I can call you!"

"Aw..." Cooed Reiko, "I suppose you've been sheltered all your life. So, let's have a quickie Q&A!"

Reiko's IS was too bulky to move with all the lockers around, making it easy for Thomas to slip into the shadows.

"To start with," She explained, "I'm from something of an evil organization..."

"Corporate tool!" Called Thomas, as he removed his shoes to move more quietly, "You sound like an insurance agent!"

"How harsh!" Cried Reiko, "I'm simply hurt! But...I'll forgive you. Since you're such a cutie, after all~!"

Reiko patrolled through the sets of lockers.

"Would it make you feel better if I said you can call me Autumn of Phantom Task? Has anyone ever told you about it?"

"I swear to God," Snarled Thomas, skimming through lockers to find his, "If you just made that up, it's not gonna be pretty!"

"Don't be like that!" Whined Autumn, "I'll let you in on a little secret: Phantom Task is the organization that kidnapped your best friend, Ichika Orimura, and ended Chifuyu Orimura's career in the process!"

Thomas blinked and paused.

The Second Mondo Grosso...Now he understood.

The truth behind what separated Thomas and Ichika all those years ago. What the adults and elders in the boys' lives were trying to cover up when they told them lies to keep them from talking to each other.

Why did everyone like to lie to Thomas about those sorts of things?

Autumn had caught onto Thomas's silence.

"I can see you're a bit shaken," Consoled Autumn, "But, if you come with me, I promise we'll tell you everything! The whole truth, and nothing besides it!"

Autumn had knocked over lockers with her IS, making it a bit harder for Thomas to narrow down where his was. His entire mental map of the room had been screwed over, since he had no distinctions to map things out from.

At best, he'd have half-a-minute to find his locker.

He needed a way to call for help.

He couldn't fine the fire alarm, since he couldn't find it in this chaos.

Thomas was looking for help...

...When there was no-one there to give it.

* * *

The Strike Force Cinderella play had come to an end.

Since the Prince was unable to be found, it was assumed by the audience, the princesses, and the walk-in participants that he'd managed to escape to safety.

However, Tatenashi knew something was wrong.

Of course, Thomas was eventually going to be given an escape route, but not until after a while.

The people who were currently monitoring said escape route would've contacted the moment they'd managed to secure Thomas and pull him off stage. However, Thomas hadn't been seen for well over several minutes.

Either he'd found the perfect place to hide, or something far worse happened.

Tatenashi feared the worst.

* * *

"Where'd he go this time?!" Snapped Lingyin, impatiently.

"Well," Considered Houki, "You saw all those stunts he pulled. Maybe he's already long gone from the stage."

"Zhis ish all your fault!" Blamed Laura, "You tried to come between me and my target!"

"Laura's right, Charlotte!" Accused Cecelia, "None of this would've happened if you hadn't interfered!"

"Oh sure!" Charlotte snapped back, "Blame the French! It's not like the rest of the world cracks jokes at our expense!"

"Still though," Commented Houki, "He was a real tough customer, wasn't he?"

"I guess," Said Lingyin, "We all came at him, and he still managed to beat us!"

"I must say," Observed Cecelia, "I wonder what the outcome would be in an IS battle..."

"I bet he's laughing at us right now!" Piped up Lingyin.

"I bet he already went back to the Maid Cafe..." Confessed Houki.

"Why would he go there?"

"You'd be surprised at the things he'd do. There was time he walked through a heavy storm in shorts and a t-shirt, just to get a bottle of soda before the store closed. There was lightning, thunder, and the heaviest rain ever, but he just went through it like nothing was happening."

"What?!" Cried Charlotte, "Is he crazy?!"

"In light of all this," Said Cecelia, "The better question would be if he was ever sane to begin with."

The girls all agreed.

They then heard the emergency alarm.

* * *

Chifuyu and Miss Yamada were currently searching for Thomas.

He'd disappeared for a long time, and Chifuyu claimed she wanted him to accept his punishment to the fullest. In truth, she was secretly frightened that something awful had happened to him, but she didn't want anyone to figure that out.

They were rooting out all possible exits from the stage, and found nothing.

That is, until they looked into the security camera in the locker room.

What they saw was a unique IS Unit rampaging around, as though the pilot was looking for something.

It didn't take a genius to find out what.

"Damn..." Muttered Chifuyu, "I knew they'd attack the day of the festival, but I wasn't expecting just a single pilot."

"What do we do, ma'am?" Asked Miss Yamada.

"Seeing as Thomas hasn't dealt with the situation already," Order Chifuyu, "Evacuate the general students. Call Yin. And then, get the Representative Candidates to set up a defensive perimeter, just in case there are enemy reinforcements."

"Right away, ma'am!" Said Miss Yamada as she set about her task.

* * *

Thomas had managed to hold out for quite some time.

But survival wasn't enough.

Autumn wouldn't leave without Thomas, and knew there was no way for Thomas to fight back...

Wait! He might not be able to fight back...

He could still find his way out.

Thomas spied the exit from afar.

Moving quickly, he zipped from cover to cover, corner to corner, all to make sure he'd have a safe approach to the door. However, if he'd booked it now, he'd seriously risk getting caught.

He needed a distraction.

However, Cecelia shot his phone, his crown was somewhere in the locker room, his gloves were still on the stage, his shoes...

Wait! He still had his shoes!

He might just make this work.

Thomas quickly caught sight of Autumn. Currently, she was facing away from Thomas, and the exit was to her far-left.

This was almost too easy.

Thomas pulled back the shoe, and threw it like a knife with all his might. The shoe smashed against a locker on Autumn's far right, and echoed through the room. Autumn whipped to her right, and quickly made her way over to the sound.

"Caught you!" She proudly declared prematurely.

As her back was turned, Thomas quickly sprinted lightly to the exit.

He grabbed the doorknob...

...Only to find it was locked shut from the other side.

Autumn chuckled.

Thomas realized that Autumn had found him.

"I have to admit," She complimented, "You almost had me. Really! I mean it! You're so smart, only adding to your cuteness! However...I already knew how smart your are, so I've taken any possible precaution to make sure I get some bonding time with my new baby boy~!"

"I ain't yours just yet!" Declared Thomas, as he quickly took his other shoe, and threw it.

As Autumn destroyed the shoe, Thomas dropped out of sight.

"Wow, I thought that was all staged in the play...But you really are good at making disappearances!"

Thomas remained silent.

He may have been able to hide easier earlier, but now that there wasn't much of a distraction, Autumn would be able to determine where Thomas's voice was coming from. But what could he do now...

Thomas looked at himself.

At least he still followed his unofficial rule of being an IS Pilot...

Reiko looked around, Thomas's elusiveness was seriously becoming a bit of a pain.

"Sweetie!" She called, "Come on out! I'm not going to hurt you if you behave! This isn't funny!"

What weirded Thomas out the most is that Autumn seemed so backwards. Instead of trying to steal his IS data, she wanted to abduct him and...pamper him or something. She seemed so set on trying to coax Thomas to willingly surrender, rather than actually force him.

It just didn't make any sense.

And now, Thomas had yet another problem.

He was running out of room. Autumn had began throwing things around in her efforts to locate him, and in the process exposing any hiding spots he had. Although there were a few places left, he had nowhere to go.

He needed the Revive, but it was lost in all of this mess.

Autumn scanned as closely as she could.

And then, she saw it.

Sock fabric was exposed from hiding closely behind a locker.

"Come on out, sweetie." She cooed as she got closer, "There's only so many places you can run."

She lunged around the corner...

...Only to find a heap of removed clothing on the floor.

Thomas's rule for IS Pilots was to always wear the uniform.

One could never know when they'd need it.

For Thomas, when it came to surviving in the IS Academy, always followed that one rule. Normally, people left their pilot uniforms in their lockers, and always went to retrieve them from there.

Thomas always had his uniform on under whatever clothes he was wearing.

More often than not, such a rule had saved his hide.

But what good could it do him now, other than buy him a few seconds?

He couldn't just open lockers to check for his belongings. Not without attracting Autumn's attention, at least. However, now that Thomas had gotten sight of the exit...He could find his locker!

Thomas sneaked his way back to the exit, and quickly began to retrace his steps.

Autumn may have knocked down a lot of lockers, but Thomas still had a chance to find his. If he couldn't find the label, he'd map out the distance from the exit to his locker, and find it that way.

It didn't take long for him to do so.

Now, all he needed was a plan to distract Autumn while he unlocked the locker.

What could he do? He was all out of...

...Wait!

Thomas spied a fire extinguisher on the wall.

It might cost him everything he'd worked for, but it was his only shot.

Thomas quietly picked up the canister, searching for a way to bust it open. The fire extinguisher had a pressurized containment, right? If he could break it open somehow, he'd pour the contents into the air, and mask himself.

However, the only thing in the room capable of breaking the extinguisher open in such a manner was the Arachnae.

He'd have to do something so crazy, it just might work.

"Oi!" He called.

Autumn whipped around, seeing Thomas with the extinguisher in-hand.

"I admire you're courage," Swooned Autumn, "But this is ridiculous, even for you!"

Autumn's mechanical claw snapped at Thomas, only to have met with the fire extinguisher.

The extinguisher exploded as it was pierced the the Arachnae's clawed fingertips, emptying its contents into Autumn's face.

Autumn jolted in surprise.

Thomas seized the moment, using his photographic memory to locate his locker masked by the mist in the air. He quickly opened it up, and threw out his belongings, quickly rummaging for his Revive.

Where was it?! He couldn't see it in all of the hazy mist. Thomas grabbed a random object.

Autumn finally seized the moment, and sprayed webbing at Thomas.

She webbed him by his joints, quickly binding him and suspending him in the air. However, despite the fact that his Revive wasn't around his neck, he didn't seem the least bit in panic.

He looked quite calm.

"And now," Cooed Autumn as she drew closer, "I can finally have some bonding time with my new son-?!"

Suddenly, a bullet streaked across Autumn's helmet, knocking her head off-balance.

"Not while I'm still breathing!"

Thomas and Autumn turned to see a Yin, with a gleaming red visor and mask over her face. In her arms she held a smoking heavy caliber rifle.

"Okay, okay," Said Thomas, "Can everyone just fucking chill?! Honestly, if I'd known I'd have company, I'd have stocked up on snacks! It would've been perfectly fine by me if one of you had just called ahead!"

"Don't worry, sweetie~!" Cooed Autumn, "I'll take care of this quickly, and then we'll get back to some family bonding!"

"Family my ass!" Retorted Yin, "Where is she?! I know you bastards took her, tell me where she is!"

"Sorry," Apologized Autumn, "But she's mine now."

"YOU'RE DEAD!" Roared Yin as she opened fire.

Thomas could tell they had personal business. However, judging from the new woman's voice, she was emotional over what sounded like a kidnapping of some girl close to her, presumably a lover or child.

Her head was clouded. She'd most likely be a liability.

Autumn leapt around the locker room with unexpected agility, Yin ran and placed herself in front of Thomas as a means of putting a defense between Autumn and Thomas. Thomas could see she had snow white hair, tied into a ponytail.

Who was she?

"Get out of my way!" Snapped Autumn.

"You're not taking him anywhere!" Affirmed Yin.

Suddenly, Yin's gun clicked, and stopped firing.

"Shit." She mumbled, quickly trying to figure out another strategy.

Autumn sprayed webbing, only to have Yin narrowly evade the spread attack. Yin dropped her gun, and quickly began to close the distance between her and Autumn, and began to attack it directly at close-range.

Autumn used several spider legs to attack Yin, only to quickly find herself tangled in her own IS.

Yin seized the moment, and leapt upon Autumn from behind.

She began to tear in...

...Only to have been snagged by a spider leg she didn't see coming from behind.

Yin was thrown into a wall, several lockers, and finally tossed up into the air, and was bound and suspended in midair by a web Autumn had tangled her in.

"I'll have my fun with you later..." Autumn sneered, turning back to Thomas, "Since we've been rudely interrupted, I'll just bring you back home and introduce you to the family and your new mommy~!"

Thomas smirked with his eyes closed.

It was the sign of a confident trickster.

"Tempting offer..."

His eyes shot open.

"...But I think I'll keep my current arrangement-**DEPLOY!**"

Suddenly, Thomas's Revive materialized out of thin air, snapping the webbing that held him and freeing him completely!

"What the-?! But how'd you-?!"

"I'm shocked," Thomas said calmly, "You act like you've never seen a magician before."

But how did Thomas deploy his Revive? The pendant wasn't hanging from his neck!

In truth, Thomas had managed to locate his Revive in all of the mist. He'd put in on and turned the pendant so that it'd hang behind him. With the poor lighting, Autumn was unable to see the string around Thomas's neck.

Thomas had been fooling her the entire time she thought she had him!

"Now that I've got what I was looking for," He locked eyes with Autumn, "I think I'll finally turn my undivided attention to you. Gosh..."

Despite the Arachnae's helmet masking her face, Autumn's heart was struck with fear as Thomas seemingly stared right into her eyes.

"...Aren't you lucky?"

"B-But-!"

"I'm sick to death of your little, 'mommy' shtick. The only person I'll ever call my mom was the one who gave birth to me!"

Yin gasped and stared at Thomas, as though she'd been entranced.

"I see..." Confirmed Autumn, "Even if you won't call me your mother, I'll never stop trying to make you my son."

"Sounds like a 'you' problem."

Suddenly, Thomas vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.

"Wha-?! Where'd you go?!"

"What's wrong, Autumn? Scared?" Thomas's voice echoed through the room, and was untraceable.

Suddenly, the two women heard sudden gunshots, and the locker room's emergency lights came on.

"Come out right now!" Cried Autumn, "This isn't funny!"

Suddenly, the room became filled with exhaust smoke.

"It's hard, isn't it?" Whispered Thomas, "Hard to predict the future, when it's so full of smoke."

Autumn's heart began to race.

Without warning, she used the Arachnae's legs to quickly flap away the vapor. Her breathing was heavy and wild with anxiety. Thomas must've been using some sort of optical camouflage.

She then felt something smack her face.

Moments after, she then felt a brutal onslaught drill all over her body.

Who...What was happening?! Was Thomas beating her senseless?

Suddenly, Autumn was sent flying onto the ground, and Yin fell into some sort of invisible cradle. She focused her eyes, and saw the outline of an IS Unit amidst the darkened locker room.

"Is...That you?"

Suddenly, Thomas deactivated his optical camouflage.

The Revive was in Stealth Shift, meaning the Unit was black in color. Along with this, the Unit had extra plating on its shoulders, wings, and hips, which were decorated in hexagonal patterns, no doubt serving as the Unit's camouflage.

"Mind telling me your name?" He asked, reverting to the Primary Shift.

"I'm...My name's Yin. I'm part of the staff at the IS Academy."

Thomas set Yin down gently.

"Y'know..." She said, "I never thought I'd get the chance to meet you, let alone be rescued by you."

"Hm." Said Thomas.

"Is something amiss?"

"You have snow-white hair...You reminded me of my mom."

"I do?! I mean...It's nice to know that I'm seen as a maternal figure."

"And?"

"It...means that I can raise a child."

"I see."

Something about the woman seemed so familiar to Thomas, but he couldn't figure what. For starters, he swore he'd heard that voice somewhere before. However, the odds of his suspicions actually being correct was fatally low.

Yin was internally panicking.

Only David and Chifuyu actually knew that Yin was Thomas's biological mother. Keeping up such an act was dangerous, since she'd already practically abandoned him, and lied to him all of his life.

It just wasn't the time to waltz back into his life.

She was very gracious she wore a mask and visor over her face.

That way, Thomas wouldn't figure out the truth right then and there.

* * *

_Outside the Arena..._

Lingyin and Cecelia were setting up a perimeter around the Academy's airspace.

"Right flank, clear." Reported Lingyin.

"Nothing to report, either." Said Cecelia.

Suddenly, an alert popped up on their HUDs.

"_There's an IS approaching your position at high speed!_" Said Miss Yamada, "_Intercept and apprehend it!_"

"Be careful," Cautioned Chifuyu, "_You can't let your guard down._"

"Right!" Answered the girls.

A twinkle streaked across the sky as their unknown combatant raced right for them.

Cecelia gasped, and froze with fear.

"But that's...Impossible!" She cried in dismay, "BT-2 Silent Zephyrs?!"

It was impossible! Why would the Silent Zephyrs be here?! It was in England!

"What's the matter, Cecelia?!" Snapped Lingyin, "Open fire already!"

"Uh...Right!"

Lingyin and Cecelia began to open fire upon the Silent Zephyrs. Silent Zephyrs suddenly stopped in its tracks, and used an energy shield to block each and every blast bolt that came its way.

"What the hell?!" Cried Lingyin.

"Try this, then!" Challenged Cecelia, as she opened up with her Rocket Pods, and fired twin rockets at the target.

Suddenly, Silent Zephyrs deployed two Optical Drones, and shot the missiles out of the sky.

"That was the same flexible weapons system as Blue Tears!" Cried Cecelia, "But I'm supposed to be the one with the most BT-compatible rating amongst the current pilots! How can she possibly...?"

Silent Zephyrs deployed eight Optical Drones, easily, it was a superior design to the Blue Tears's four Optical Drones.

"Get outta there!" Cried Lingyin, as she moved away.

Cecelia barely regained her senses in time to evade the Optical Drones.

They needed to get the others to take down the Silent Zephyrs.

As the girls were distracted, Silent Zephyrs simply flew right by without so much as a care to the wind.

* * *

Autumn had gotten back up, and finally engaged Thomas.

"If you're planning on fighting me," She said, "Then I guess I'll have to hurt you a little!"

"Oh, stuff a sock in it!" Retorted Thomas.

Autumn opened fire with pulse blasts from he Unit's palms. Thomas brought up his Left Shield, quickly deploying his Combat Knife and Particle Cannon.

He moved his Shield, allowing him to open fire with the Particle Cannon from behind it. Thomas was currently placing himself around Yin, serving as her own personal barrier against Autumn's onslaught.

Thomas took potshots at the Arachnae's feet, purposely missing to help force it into position.

Autumn was currently airborne, the Arachnae was roughly around an access hatch to the arena above them.

Just as planned.

Thomas burst forward, with his Shield in one arm, and Yin with her arms wrapped around him in his other. Thomas gunned the Revive, and smashed right into Autumn. He now had the Arachnae strung up on his Shield like a bug on a windshield.

"Y'know what's been bugging me?" He asked, "It's really dark in here, and as much as I like the dark-"

He pushed the Revive at maximum speed as he rammed Autumn straight through the ceiling.

"-I think it's time we turned all the lights on!"

Autumn was brought up into the air, as gravity carried her off the Shield, and she crashed painfully to the floor.

"'Course," Thomas said, "No pun intended, since spiders aren't bugs."

Autumn stifled her breath as she slowly got back on her feet.

"But seriously?!" Criticized Thomas, as he set down Yin, "Purple and Yellow?! Really?! If you went with red and blue, I'd be insulted! Nobody ruins _Spider-Man_ for me! I'm shocked the Webhead himself didn't come down from Heaven to sue you already!"

Thomas tried to rush Autumn, only to be stopped short by a pulse beam.

Thomas looked to the sky, only to find the Arena's dome had been blasted open like a bubble, and a very peculiar IS Unit hovering over the hole. The Unit seemed to remind Thomas of Blue Tears.

"_I came to get you, Autumn._" Spoke the pilot.

"Address me with respect, M!" Snapped Autumn.

Thomas wasted no time.

The Arachnae, despite it's high agility, was pitiful when it came to flight. Statistically, it was much more of a tank, tougher, but slower. If he went to take down the unknown Unit, he'd still have a chance to catch Autumn.

Thomas raced up to meet the latecomer.

"Tsk tsk!" He taunted, "That's a tardy slip for you! Class is in session, and your friend was just getting schooled!"

"Ugh! Why is everyone so damn obsessed with you?!" Snarled "M," as she deployed 8 Optical Drones aimed right for Thomas.

Thomas quickly calculated the velocity and trajectory of each drone, and moved to meet them head-on.

Drones in things like video games were usually meant as a means of distraction. They were to overwhelm the player with attacks that did minimal to moderate damage.

However, the Optical Drones were meant to actively blow things up in single shots.

Thomas brought up his Shield, recalled his Combat Knife, and deployed his other Particle Cannon.

The Drones were flying in a circular formation. Thomas quickly deduced that they'd fire something close to a laser-grid attack to finish him quickly if he flew right through the center.

Thomas opened up his missile racks, and quickly fired at the Optical Drones.

He fired eight missiles, one for each drone.

They hit their marks without a cinch.

Thomas brought up his comm.

"Guys! Anyone?"

"_Thomas?! Where the hell have you been?!_" Cried Ichika.

"Tell you later. Right now, I got a giant friggin' butterfly with lasers on me!"

"_What?! We're on our way!_" Responded Houki.

"Belay that!"

"_Why?!_"

"I need you guys all down at the Arena, we got a shitty Spider-Man cosplayer that puts Peni Parker to shame!"

"_I see..._"

"Ichika, Cecelia, Lingyin, link up with me. Charlotte, Laura, Houki, take care of our guest on the stage!"

Cecelia and Lingyin were silent.

"Dammit..." Muttered Thomas.

The two girls were most likely already taken care of by Silent Zephyrs. He'd find them later, but he needed to stay alive long enough for him to do so.

"Hey! Scott!" Snapped M.

"Scott's my dad," Said Thomas, "I'm Thomas."

"Whatever!" She snarled, right before regaining composure, "As I was saying...You can stop this whole thing, right here, right now if you wanted to."

"Don't have to," He said, "You can just leave your buddy and run..."

"All I'm asking is that you come with us. No tricks, no tails. Just hand yourself over and we'll leave your friends out of the issue."

Thomas looked around, trying to find something he could work with. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ichika flying at top speed, aiming for Silent Zephyr's back. If they timed it right, they might be able to take down the butterfly in a single move.

Thomas slowly hovered closer.

He needed to get within striking distance.

"I see what you mean." Thomas said, "Really! I get it! But I'm sorry, I've been sheltered for a good chunk of my life, so I don't know much about other people. So, if you don't mind me asking, d'you have a name I can call you?"

"M."

"I see...I see. Keepin' it simple, yeh?"

"Quit stalling."

"What?"

"You're stalling for time. What're you trying to hide from me?"

Thomas pointed behind her, "He did it!"

M turned around, only to find that Ichika was about to smash her with an Energy Claw to her face.

It was at this moment, M knew...she fucked up.

Thomas quickly shifted his Shield to Shield Pierce, and closed the gap between him and her.

Ichika delivered a haymaker to M's belly, Thomas delivered a haymaker to M's back.

The two of them struck at different angles, a technique that would've sent M spiraling to the ground.

Or so they thought.

Instead of taking her out of commission, their combo attack only gave M enough range to grab hold of the both of them by their wrists. M then deployed her Optical Drones, and relentlessly tore into both of the boys as she held them.

When she felt the boys were on their last legs, She smiled.

"This was almost too easy." She mumbled.

M spun around, building up enough momentum to send Ichika crashing hard into the ground. She then threw Ichika back into the Arena, making him crash into a tower of the palace.

"I'll deal with you next!" She shouted to Ichika as he crashed.

He was down, and too weary to continue.

"And now, to deal with you..." M turned to Thomas.

Thomas was writhing from the pain of the Drones blasting him a new one.

M then grabbed Thomas by his sides, like holding up a teddy bear.

Suddenly, Thomas recalled his IS.

M was confused, thinking that Thomas would've tried to fight back with the IS Unit.

But, him being obedient was a pleasant surprise.

"So, you finally gave up, huh?" M smirked.

"I still got a few tricks up my sleeve." Retorted Thomas.

However, what M didn't understand, was that Thomas was actually using a crazy strategy. Having recalled the Revive, Thomas had a small window of time to align himself in a position where he could break free of M.

Without warning, Thomas slipped right out of M's hands, slipped behind her, and began to tear into her Unit with his Compact Shift's arms.

He'd brought out the Combat Knife, poking and prodding into M's back.

M tried to reach for Thomas, only to realize the Silent Zephyrs had a serious flaw! It's blind spot was right behind it, where the Unit's wings were too big for it to reach behind itself! And, by using the Compact Shift, he was able to deploy some of his weapons, and take her out of the air!

However, M was still able to counter.

M spun around, shaking Thomas off, and causing him to fall from the sky!

Thomas deployed the rest of the Compact Shift, and guided himself into a controlled crash on the ground near the other students.

Charlotte, Laura, and Houki had Autumn by the balls.

For a moment, they were distracted as Thomas crash-landed right next to them.

The next, they were blasted by Silent Zephyrs.

Laura was still standing, her AIC being the only thing that held Autumn.

"Vha?!" She cried.

M landed, and with the stroke of an energy blade, cut right through the AIC's barrier field as though it were cheap fabric.

"Is that the best you got?" Sneered M, "German Uber Soldier?"

"How do you know of zhat?!"

"Irrelevant. Out of my way, Scott's coming with us."

"Vhy do you vant him?!"

"_I'll_ explain that." Cooed Autumn, regaining her composure, "You see...Our leader has quite the connection the Thomas, and developed quite a fondness for the boy. You could say we're trying to bring him into the family! And besides..."

Autumn's face became twisted.

"He's much more valuable to us alive than his Unit's data. As long as we keep him, we can get more data."

"Now," Commanded M, "Out of the way."

"Never! I'll never abandon my comrade!" Refused Laura.

"Your choice." Said M, taking aim. She blasted Laura, and sent her to the floor.

Suddenly, a blue bolt struck her across the face.

Thomas, who'd secretly gotten up, switched to Primary Shift, and brought out a rifle he'd never seen before and shot M.

"Honestly." He taunted, "You should go back and tell your boss I only like her as a friend!"

"Don't be that way, sweetie~!" Cooed Autumn.

"Ugh! Gimme a break!" Hacked M.

"Show some respect, girl!" Snapped Autumn.

The two paused, as though they were getting a call.

"Understood, Squall." Said M.

_"Squall, huh?"_ Thought Thomas, _"I'll keep that in mind."_

"It's time to go. They have too many combat-ready Units. We have to go, you took too long this time. But...We'll have other chances." Said M.

"If this is the way it has to be..." Whined Autumn.

M jumped into the air, and used the cannons from her Optical Drones to make sure the girls and Thomas stayed down.

Thomas quickly countered, bringing out his Shield moments before M blasted him.

Autumn disengaged The Arachnae, and jumped out. She grabbed a glowing orb, and set the armaments to explode. She then pressed buttons, and ran off. Suddenly, the Arachnae began to move on its own, and made its way towards the girls.

It made a distinct chirp every second or so.

Thomas saw this, and knew what was about to happen.

Autumn jumped into M's arms, and the two took to the air, putting distance between them and the students. They'd turned the Arachnae into a walking bomb! And as it drew nearer, the countdown sped up!

The girls were still disoriented. They wouldn't get away in time.

Thomas suddenly pulled into Hypervelocity Shift, and sprang into action!

But why did Thomas do what he did? Even he had no idea! It was almost as though his body was moving on its own, and yet it required his mind to do the thinking and calculating for each move he made!

It was as though his very mind was acting of its own accord subconsciously!

Thomas zipped up to the Arachnae, he could tell he'd only have a maximum of 5 seconds to act!

Thomas smirked.

5 seconds? The attackers were amateurs!

Thomas snagged the Arachnae by its legs with both hands, and took off after M and Autumn.

4 seconds...

The chirping sped up, and was now beeping 5 times per second.

3 seconds...

Thomas had just cleared the arena.

2...

"Hey!" He called, "I think you dropped this! You can have it back!"

Thomas spun around, and threw the Arachnae at the two pilots with all his might.

1...

"Give Squall my regards!"

0...

The bomb went off, and Thomas discovered the minimum safe distance.

Or better yet, lack thereof.

Thomas was sent flying back into the Arena, disabled and unable to recover in time. He'd seriously damage something if he connected with the ground at this speed! Everything happened so fast, Thomas couldn't process it! He passed out for a mere second.

Only a second.

The next thing he knew, some sort of extremely soft, pillow-like substance was pressed deeply against his face.

He could smell ozone, an indication that it was about to storm.

He felt like he was contained in a vacuum-sealed environment.

Thomas opened his eyes to see why.

Tatenashi was on all fours over Thomas. She'd created a barrier of water around them.

Thomas tried to recreate what happened.

As he was blown back, Tatenashi must've caught him midair with her own IS. And, using her Unit's special ability, generated a bubble of water around them to shield them from the impact.

However...

"Are they gone?" Whispered Thomas.

"Yes. It looks like you sent them packing." Tatenashi whispered back, "But what about you? Are you okay? Nothing hurt or broken?"

"M'fine...It looks like they only made the armaments explode."

"Good. What do you think they were attacking for?"

"They were after me, for some reason. Can't figure out why exactly, but I think I know."

"Can you tell me?"

"Depends," He retorted, "Can your get you chest out of my face?"

Tatenashi's bosom was a little too big for comfort. As she crouched over Thomas, her breasts draped over his face like the softest curtain ever made.

"Gee!" Tatenashi's voice returned to normal, boisterous volume, "You're a pervert behind that cute face of yours, aren't you?"

"Are. You. Fucking. Serious?!" Snapped Thomas.

Thomas had been put through a great deal of stress. And, judging from the sun and the sky, it was still around noon. In that short time, Thomas had nearly been mauled by hordes of lecherous teenage girls, nearly killed, pushed to the brink, lost his phone, shot, nearly shot, nearly stabbed, electrocuted, nearly abducted, put in a position of conflict, and pulled right back into a mystery he wanted to get away from.

If Thomas had to deal with anything else, he lay the smack on someone.

"Since we're in this position," Said Tatenashi, "Whaddaya think of my boobs?"

"What?"

"My chest, silly!" She teased, "Give me your honest opinion!"

"Well..." Thomas described, "They're...soft. And, they're even, bountiful, and...perky?"

"Tommy?"

"Yeah?"

"Pervert~!" Cooed Tatenashi.

Thomas's face turned from flustered and blushing, to absolutely pissed.

Thomas grabbed Tatenashi's wrists, and pushed himself up.

The moment he was on his feet, he delivered a powerful right hook, and sent Tatenashi flying.

"NOW YOU LISTEN HERE, YOU FUCKING THOT!" He roared, "I am MAXED OUT on handling YOUR shit! In the span of A COUPLE OF HOURS! I've been nearly kidnapped, adopted against my will, mauled, electrocuted, forced to fight for my fucking life, and whatever else I'm missing!"

The water bubble dissipated, and the girls and Ichika could hear Thomas scream as they recovered.

"Sheesh..." Muttered Ichika.

"Wow...It's been a while since he went over the edge like that..." Observed Houki.

"_Sacre Bleu_..." Mumbled Charlotte, stunned by how angry Thomas could get.

"Vhat ish happening?" Asked Laura, genuinely confused.

* * *

When Thomas finished releasing his pent-up negativity, he quickly went to recover Lingyin and Cecelia. Right after, he went immediately back to the Maid Cafe, and continued his work as a butler.

Ichika followed a few minutes after, and the two got back to performing skits together.

Chifuyu eventually paid a visit, even giving a genuine smile to the boys.

Yin vanished during the chaos, and didn't even say goodbye to Thomas.

Despite how much was heavy in Thomas's head, he did his best to hide his confusion until everything was over. The patrons all fell in love with Thomas the butler, and the distraction was enough to keep Thomas occupied and temporarily forget about the stranger parts of the day.

As more and more patrons discovered the incident, more and more began to order the 'Treat your Butler' Special for Thomas.

When the day finally drew to a close, and the last patron left, Class 1 quickly began to restore the classroom.

As they finished, Thomas took both Ichika's samurai costume, and his own knight costume, and put them in the closet of their dorm room.

But not before the two of them took a picture of themselves in costume.

Ichika would send it to Thomas when he replaced his phone. Ichika quickly went to sleep peacefully that night.

Thomas, on the other hand, stayed up for quite some time.

After he put on his pajamas, he went to the balcony, to the desk, and back, and simply stared into the night sky.

He felt conflicted, confused. So confused to the point where he just couldn't even figure out what he was doing anymore.

Who was Squall? Who was M? Who was Autumn? What was Phantom Task? Who was Yin? What made him so damn special all of the sudden? Ichika was the one with the next-gen IS Unit, so why did Phantom Task take such an interest in Thomas?

IT may have been an exaggeration, but sometimes, it felt as though Thomas's life was on the verge of breaking to pieces.

Thomas fell asleep sitting at the desk.

Maybe someday...

Maybe someday, he'd finally have his questions answered.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

"I didn't ask for your help, brat!" Snarled Autumn, as she collared M.

M was unresponsive, as a means of silently taunting Autumn.

"Stop getting in my way, dammit! Your interfering with my life! We may have accepted you as family, but you're such a fucking brat, you little shit!"

She shoved M against a window.

"Say something!" Threatened Autumn, "Say something, you stinking little brat!"

M simply locked eyes with Autumn, and gave her sly grin.

"Why you..." Growled Autumn, as she reached behind herself to pull out a knife.

"Now, now Autumn," Cooed a soothing woman's voice, "That's no way to treat our adopted daughter."

Autumn turned around, her wrathful, venomous face turning back to a normal, passive look of awe.

"You're making too much noise," Cooed Squall, as she walked out of the bathroom, with a bathrobe and slippers on.

"S-Squall!" Piped up Autumn joyously, her face blushing.

"You need to keep calm," Consoled Squall, "All that anger will give you wrinkles, and ruin your beautiful face."

Autumn's blush became deeper.

Suddenly, a snow-white streak dashed across Autumn's vision.

"Mama!" Cheered Kana, as the girl zipped up and wrapped her arms around Autumn.

"Hello, sweetie~!" Cooed Autumn, as she returned the hug.

"Did you?" Asked Kana, "Did you see him? Didja? Didja? Didja-!"

"I did, sweetie! He was so cute!"

"Yay!"

"While I was there," Said Autumn, pulling out a strip of photos, "I managed to get pictures of Tommy!"

She gave the photos to Kana, who hugged them like a fluffy teddy bear.

"It's been so long!" She swooned, "I never knew how awful it was to be without him until I finally met him! Now it's like I can't live without his essence!"

M grunted, and walked off.

"Aww..." Cooed Kana, "Admit it, you like him too~!"

"I don't!" Snarled M, whipping around angrily, "That idiot was a total dick! He's such a frigging chore to deal with! And he was so damn annoying! I just wish I could clock him and knock him out cold so he'd shut up! Why the hell're you so obsessed with him?! I just can't understand it!"

"You know you like him~!" Teased Kana.

"I! Do! Not!" Affirmed M.

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

The two young girls stared into each others' eyes, waiting for the slightest flinch in their stare-down.

M clenched her teeth, her cheeks turned red, and she finally looked away in shame.

"He's...I guess he's a _little_ cute..."

"I knew it~!" Cheered Kana.

"Only a little! A LITTLE!"

"You're just jealous because I got to meet him first!"

"Hell no!"

Suddenly, Kana gave M a warm hug.

"It's Okay," Kana cooed, "We can share Tommy when we finally bring him home~!"

"You make it sound so wrong! You're disgusting!"

M was absolutely embarrassed.

"I can't deal with this right now!" She snapped and stomped off.

"M?" Called Squall, "I'd like for you to return Silent Zephyrs to maintenance when you get the chance. From my understanding, Thomas was able to outsmart you and take advantage of the Unit's weaknesses. It sounds like it needs some adjustments."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Aw~!" Cooed Squall, "You don't have to be so formal, you can call me Mama~!"

M grunted in embarrassment, blushed, and promptly stomped off a lot louder than before.

When M reached her room, she shut the door.

"Soon...Very soon..." She mumbled.

She pulled out a locket.

"I'll get my revenge...And then I'll finally meet you...Big sister..."

She opened up the locket, revealing a picture of Chifuyu's face inside.

"And for once..." She hissed, "We'll all be one happy family..."

It wouldn't be long now...

* * *

**A/N: At last! It's done! Kana's true history has mostly been revealed! I finally feel like I accomplished something good! Not only did I set a new record for longest chapter last time, but I finally feel confident in myself when I write this story!**

**Although...There is something of backstory I did leave out. I won't say, until the time comes.**

**Thanks to everyone who's been following and supporting this story! This is actually one of those stories I thought of, but never really had much confidence in, since it's just an idea that's been done to death. Honestly I felt really embarrassed when I started, since I felt that it wasn't going to do too well at all, but I am so glad I was wrong about that.**

**But all the overwhelmingly positive feedback, the sheer amount of people who actually read this story is something I never expected. Since there was so much of it, I decided to make this story my main focus.**

**So, thank you, reader, whoever you may be.**

**Enough with the mushy stuff, I'm embarrassing myself.**

**Next time: Oh, Love me Mister.**

**As classes continue, Everyone's introduced to a new girl!**

**Or rather, an old one...**

**Thomas's childhood crush, Nana suddenly transfers out of nowhere! Thomas and Ichika are thrilled, but the girls aren't! Nana acts suspicious to the girls, and they decide to get to the bottom of it!**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	15. Oh, Love me Mister

**And we're back! Sorry I got a bit weird in my A/N last time, I just really felt that I had to get that off my chest. So, if you read it, thanks for letting me indulge in embarrassing myself a little.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**As school continues onward, the gang is introduced to a new girl!**

**Or rather, an old one...**

**Thomas's childhood crush, Nana, transfers to the IS Academy out of the blue! Nana quickly takes a shine on Thomas, and Thomas is happy he finally has a chance to fall in love!**

**Thomas and Ichika are thrilled, but the girls most certainly aren't!**

**Nana seems quite suspicious to the girls, and they want to get to the bottom of it! They suspect Nana is attempting to try and abduct Thomas, just like the two IS Pilots during the school festival!**

**But what could she be really after?**

* * *

Thomas and Ichika sat in class during their free period.

Business as usual.

Thomas was writing in a journal, but refused to show to anyone just what it was he was writing.

_"I'm writing a storybook,"_ He said, _"I'll show it to you when I'm done."_

Ichika assumed Thomas was really just trying to bide for time as he tried to wrap his around the school festival incident. In the debriefing, it was revealed that the pilots were aiming to abduct Thomas.

It was obvious Thomas didn't know why, and wanted to find out.

However, ever since, he'd gotten a lot quieter.

Ichika paid close attention, to assess Thomas and make sure he was okay.

The girls seemed to forget Thomas existed until Ichika brought up any mention of him.

Thomas himself was secretly jealous of Ichika receiving staggering amounts of attention. Romantically, he was hopeless, but one couldn't help but envy the fact that people were easily enthralled by him.

_"Damn,"_ Thought Thomas, _"I wish Nana was here."_

Thomas had no idea just how soon his wish would be granted.

The boys went down to the cafeteria to meet the girls for lunch.

Thomas had a somber face, and was silent the entire time.

Ichika was becoming more and more concerned for his best friend.

Even when Thomas was at his worst, it was always in times like these that he'd still act normally. If the room was silent, he'd always come up with a topic to talk about. But he didn't even remotely seem inclined to do so.

"Say something already!" Pleaded Ichika.

"What?" Asked Thomas, snapping out of his daze.

"I can handle you when you're all mopey and stuff," Whined Ichika, "But when you're doing the silent treatment, it's really annoying!"

"Is this because of the play?"

"Yes!"

"Dude," Groaned Thomas, "I'm _way_ past that. I'm just thinking about the story I was writing."

"Oh..."

"Yeah, dummy."

"What's it about anyway?"

Thomas smirked, and put a finger to his lips.

"That, my friend," He concluded, "Is a secret."

* * *

Lingyin felt absolutely annoyed.

Class 2 had just gotten a transfer student of their own.

She was a Representative Candidate for the United States, much like Thomas.

However...

"Seriously!" Snapped Lingyin, "You're so shy! Loosen up already!"

"I'm sorry..." She whimpered, "It's just...Everything's so different! I used to go to another all-girls private academy, but that was a completely different experience!"

The girl suddenly began to hyperventilate.

"I can't...I can't-I can't-I can't!"

"Pull yourself together!"

The girl breathed in, and out.

"I...I-I can do this! I can do this, right? Of course I can!"

She then put her fists on her hips in a triumphant pose.

"Better!" Said Lingyin.

Lingyin was going to meet the rest of the gang at the cafeteria for lunch, and decided to bring the new student along with her. After all, she was American, and most likely going to screw something up sooner or later.

Better to keep her at a range where she could be corrected, should the need ever arise.

The girl was about 5'4, with long, pitch-black, silky hair and golden eyes. She'd said she was Japanese-American when she introduced herself. Although she originally looked somber, with a dash of kuudere, and had a lovely charm.

However, her shyness quickly took hold, and now she looked absolutely adorable, and a little pathetic.

The girl was currently trying to hide behind Lingyin.

"For the love of-you just got all confident! Where'd all that confidence go?!"

"I'm sorry!" Sobbed the girl, "There's just too many people!"

"Ugh, You're such a nervous wreck."

"I wish _he_ was here..." Mumbled the girl.

"Who?"

"Oh. I met this really cute boy back in elementary school. I wish I'd gotten the chance to fall in love with him, but he moved, and I wound up going to an all-girls private academy after middle school. I sucked, because those girls were..." The girl's face flushed red, "Let's not talk about something so scarring."

"Oh...Well, let's get some comfort food, then."

"M-Mhm."

The girl timidly walked behind Lingyin as they reached the cafeteria.

The girls got in line.

Lingyin had to verbally prod the girl until she finally ordered.

Once they'd checked out, Lingyin guided the girl to the booth where the rest of the group sat.

She was American, maybe Thomas would have better luck at communication.

Currently, Laura, Houki, Charlotte, and Cecelia were all sitting and waiting for Ichika and Thomas to arrive as well.

"Well? Siddown!"

"R-Right!"

The girl promptly sat down obediently.

_"I could get used to this."_ Thought Lingyin.

"Everyone," Lingyin introduced, "This is a new girl in my class. She's a Rep for the U.S."

"_Bonjour_! I am Charlotte Dunois!" Greeted Charlotte.

"Hello there! It is I, the one and only Cecelia Alcott! Pleased to make your acquaintance!" Said Cecelia.

"Greetings. I am Laura Bodewig." Said Laura.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Houki." Said Houki.

"H-Hi...I'm-?!"

"Hey guys!" Called Ichika.

The two boys had just gotten their lunch and were making a beeline right for the booth.

The girl's jaw dropped.

"Who's she?" Asked Ichika.

"Hm?" Said Thomas, "That's-?!"

The girl and Thomas locked eyes, entranced by each other.

"Thomas?!" Cried the girl in dismay.

"NANA?!" Cried Thomas.

"It's really you-"

"Where've you been-"

"I missed you so much-"

"OKAY!" Snarled Lingyin, "What's going on right now?!"

"Oh," Said Thomas setting down his tray on the table, "Everyone, this is Nana Parker, she was my friend I met during 5th grade. I told you guys about her once."

"That's right!" Said Houki, "You said you had a-?!"

Thomas quickly covered Houki's mouth to keep her from talking.

"Houki~!" Whispered Thomas, "It's rude to talk with your mouth full...But yes. I did indeed have some extra work to take care of. But don't worry, I'll deal with that extra workload as soon as we're done with lunch..."

Houki quickly caught on, and dropped the subject.

"C'mon!" Said Nana, with a sudden confidence in her behavior, "Siddown! It's been so long!"

Thomas sat down right next to Nana, and Nana quickly scooted in to close the gap between them. Thomas blushed, and Nana wrapped her arms around one of his, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I missed you so much..." She whispered.

"Awww~!" Cooed the rest of the group.

"You look so cute together!" Said Ichika.

The girls all mumbled their words incoherently.

Houki noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

She swore she saw something sinister within Nana's face.

* * *

_Later..._

The girls, bar Nana, all quickly got together.

"Am I the only one who thinks something's...off?" Asked Houki.

"Nope," Agreed Lingyin, "There's definitely something suspicious going on."

"I agree," Said Cecelia, "Who just shows up out of nowhere without any sort of plan? Sure, it is nice to see Thomas finally opening up a lot easier, but I can't help but feel like she's here for some other reason."

"She seems quite...clingy to me." Observed Charlotte.

"It appears zhat she ish simply overjoyed at reuniting vith a close friend, _Jah_?" Said Laura, not following the others' train of thought.

"That's not it!"

"Zhen vhet vas vrong?"

"She's _clearly_ up to something!" Suggested Lingyin, "There's no way she just randomly transferred to the one school that just so happens to reunite her with Thomas!"

"I see...Zhen we must lock her up and interrogate her!" Concluded Laura.

"Wait!" Said Charlotte, "If we do, then Thomas and Ichika won't be too happy!"

"Charlotte's right," Agreed Houki, "We need to be discreet."

"Mhm!" The girls said in unison, with determined smiles on their faces.

They'd get to the bottom of things, and find the truth.

* * *

_A few days later..._

Over the course of the week, Thomas and Nana spent every moment they could together.

The two were inseparable.

The girls paid attention to Nana's every move.

Every breath she took, everywhere she looked, the girls analyzed every inch of the girl's body from the moment they came into her sight, until she left.

There were moments where'd she subtly glare back at them, and quickly follow up with a display of her affections for Thomas.

It was probably just them acting out of paranoia from the school festival, but they didn't want to take any chances after discovering the attackers' true motives. They'd neglected Thomas for their pursuit in Ichika's love.

A mistake they vowed never to make again.

Whenever they had the chance, they'd pull Nana away from Thomas, to better reduce risks.

It was all to keep him safe.

Whenever they got the chance, they'd question Nana.

"So," Said Lingyin, before class started, "I noticed you really took a liking to Thomas.

"Of course!" Answered Nana, "He was my best-and only-friend up until high school! He was always so cute and kind! I've had a crush on him since he first talked to me!"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah! I was too shy to actually conversate with him then, but I'm gonna do my best and get him to fall in love with me with my feminine wiles! He's always been a good boy, I just want to bottle him up~!"

Nana then jumped to conclusions.

"Wait..."

"What?"

"I get it now..."

"Hm?"

"You're trying to get in his pants, aren't you?!"

"What?!"

"It's so obvious!" Explained Nana, "The only reason other girls would ever pay such close attention to Thomas is because they wanna sex him up! I've seen it happen a lot when we went to the same school. Ugh! Girls like you only see Thomas as an object!"

"That's not-!"

"Don't lie to me!"

"I'm not-!"

"Stay away from Thomas!" Snapped Nana, "I hate it when people don't treat him like a person!"

Nana stomped off, frustrated.

Lingyin was dumbfounded.

* * *

Thomas was currently in his room, mapping out strategies in a spare journal.

In IS Unit combat, Thomas noticed a massive flaw with the way people did things.

His strategies not only had flair, but actual skill and a great deal of thought behind each of them. Sure, there were great formations and tactics pilots used. However, they all lacked a certain degree of...style behind them.

Thomas would be the one to fix that.

He and Ichika had been working on tag-team moves. Thomas felt quite proud, since Ichika was the only one who'd actually try such ideas. Usually, when he asked one of the girls, they'd either laugh, get confused, or just refuse.

Usually, it was all three.

"Tommy?" Asked Nana, her head poking through the door.

"Yo." He answered.

"What're you working on?"

"Match tactics."

"Why?"

"From what I've seen," He explained, "IS Matches are sorely lacking in creativity. One of the best ways to win is to make a strategy as crafty and original as possible."

He then looked up to Nana.

"Besides," He finished, "I'm one of two guys. We have to look as stylish and epic as possible to make our mark."

"Ooh~!" Cooed Nana, as she entered.

As she walked up to Thomas, she noticed his Star Convoy cosplay.

"Star Convoy? Really?"

"Yeah. Me and Ichika are going to a convention in a few months, so I felt like going with something close to a Gundam-style."

"Oh!" Said Nana, "You should've told me sooner, I wanna come along!"

Nana took a closer look.

"I don't remember Star Convoy having cladding that forms a skirt."

"Oh. That's to help with the Gundam-feel to it. Besides, I want to make a _Transformers_ costume that actually transforms."

"Oh...Hey, what's this?" Asked Nana, picking up Thomas's storybook-in-progress.

"Ah-ah-ah!" He said, quickly removing the book from her hands, "That, my dear lady, is a secret."

"Aw..."

Nana shot a glare at the door while Thomas was distracted.

The other girls were watching them from the other side.

"And those strategies...?"

"Secret too."

"Dang it..."

"So..." Started Thomas.

"Yes?"

"D'you...Have your own Unit?"

"Oh...Yeah! I do!"

"Can I see?"

"Sure! C'mon! Let's go to the arena!"

Thomas shrugged in agreement, and got up to go to the door.

"Wait."

"What?"

"There're...Lots of people on the other side."

"Oh..."

"D'you have a Unit, Tommy? I can carry you if you don't..."

"It's fine, I have one."

"Um..." Nana began to blush and stutter.

"What?"

"Can you...carry me like a princess?"

Thomas's face flushed red.

"Yes!" He said joyously.

* * *

Thomas and Nana jumped off the balcony, and flew over to the Arena.

Both of the students were blushing as Thomas cradled Nana in his arms the entire way there.

But neither of them were going to complain.

Thomas set Nana down, and they walked into the Arena's field.

"That was...awesome!" Said Nana.

"Yeah..." Cracked Thomas, still giddy from carrying his crush so closely.

"And now that we took a shortcut..." Mumbled Nana, under her breath, "I finally have you all alone..."

"What?"

"Hm? What?"

Thomas knew very well Nana said something, but was feigning ignorance to figure out what.

Ever since the school festival, the girls all became overbearing in their pursuit to safeguard Thomas. Which meant they'd watch him wake up, go to class, take up defensive monitoring positions during lunch, and lots more embarrassing tactics that left Thomas wishing he never woke up.

Over the days, he noticed very well how the girls were trying to keep him and Nana apart. He knew they meant well, and were trying to be subtle about it-despite their version of subtly being about as subtle as an elephant with its tail on fire-however, Thomas wasn't about to let anyone get in his way this time.

Thomas had let go of too many chances for too many things.

He just couldn't afford to let this one chance to slip by.

There was no telling how many more chances he would have after.

The two ran inside, and quickly changed into their pilot uniforms.

Nana's pilot uniform was red in color.

"They only gave you a standard black uniform? Man, you deserve better!" Said Nana.

"S'fine." Replied Thomas.

"Hang on..." Said Nana, getting uncomfortably close to examine Thomas's face.

"What?" Thomas said, blushing.

"What happened? You've got sleep in your eyes, you have dark bags, and you're absolutely exhausted!"

"How did you...?"

"I've seen your face plenty of times," Explained Nana, "I'd know for a fact is something was wrong. I noticed you looked a lot more sluggish, but I didn't expect that you'd actually be totally worn out. Tell me everything."

Thomas went into a very detailed story of his exploits ever since starting school. He told Nana _almost_ everything.

Almost. He still had to keep his mouth shut about the Silver Gospel.

He told her about blowing up the Uchigane Unit, meeting the girls, fighting the girls, meeting back up with Ichika, getting punished by being forced to perform in the Cinderella Play, losing his phone due to Cecelia shooting it, nearly getting abducted, and all the times he could remember borderline sexual harassment.

It took a long time.

"Oh...And I thought my last school was bad." Said Nana.

"What brought you to the IS Academy?" Inquired Thomas.

"Well..."

* * *

_Weeks ago..._

Nana thought it was a day like any other.

Nana was originally a girl from the middle-class of society. At an early age, her parents divorced, since her unfaithful mother simply didn't want to be tied down by a family. Nana's father was picked up and married by a wealthy single industrialist woman around his age.

At the end of middle school, when they actually had the marriage, Nana's new stepmother had enrolled her in the academy she currently attended.

She attended an all-girls private academy, one with school uniforms that people would make fetishes of.

The likes of which was so all-girls, she was continuously pestered with questions about the outside world and forced to put up with sexual harassment from her peers, even from her teachers.

Nana quickly learned it was all-girls, including the staff, and making her situation all the worse.

She quickly realized just how much she missed having Thomas around.

They were a few moments where she was alone, only to have a delinquent or two-three, at worst-corner her.

Thankfully, there was usually a teacher that would stop them before anything could happen.

Although, this usually staved off the worst-case scenario, it did nothing to stop the harassment in its tracks.

Nana was a straight girl. And, although she dealt with the libido around her, there was still a limit on how much she could take. She would only fall in love with one person, that being Thomas.

If anything, she didn't sway in the slightest, so much more as get angrier every time a girl tried to come up to her with lewd intent. There were other girls she talked to, but neither she nor they ever really saw their connection as friendship, which suited her just fine.

But there was one night that ended everything.

Nana was on her way back to her dorm, nothing out of ordinary.

She'd earned a reputation amongst delinquents for being very angry. Thankfully, this managed to dissuade many of the lecherous students. Although it didn't stop all of them, Nana felt that this was an okay solution for now.

Nana entered her room.

Although she shared the room with 3 others, she never really interacted with any of them.

Come to think of it, Nana didn't even know the names of her roommates.

Nana sat on her bed, and pulled out her phone.

She checked her messages, and made a frown upon finding that Thomas hadn't made a single message to her in weeks.

He should be in summer vacation right now. He went to a public high school, right? He should've been replying like crazy at this point. Nana was utterly confused by Thomas's lack of response, and getting worried.

Was she being paranoid? Did she drive him away? Maybe she was being a little too expecting of him. Maybe she was just getting too clingy. Was she being too possessive of Thomas?

Sure, she wanted to be the one for Thomas. But, she didn't want to force it. If Thomas hit it off with someone else, sure, she'd get a little upset, but she always affirmed herself to accept defeat if Thomas got another girl.

Nana felt uncomfortable, she didn't want to pursue those nasty feelings of imagining someone else with Thomas anymore.

She quickly switched to catching up on the news.

It'd been a long time since she was up-to-date.

It was back in April she'd heard about the IS Academy receiving it's first male student.

She paused.

Might as well see if anything else happened in the IS Community.

Nana became curious as she began to type into the search bar. Had there been any developments on male pilots after all the buzz about the first male pilot?

Nana shrugged, and decided to see. She found an article about there being a second male pilot. She went to the link, not thinking much of it.

Her world became rocked right then and there.

Nana didn't expect to see the name "Thomas Scott" mentioned in the article, let alone being directly referenced as the world's second male IS Pilot.

Thomas was in the IS Academy?! Since when?! And how?!

That settled it; She was actually going to read as much as she could about the subject.

She'd been shocked by such a revelation, she didn't notice a faculty-woman entering her room. The woman closed the door quietly, and locked it behind her. She then quietly made her way over to Nana.

Nana didn't even notice until the woman's silhouette had covered her. Nana blinked, realizing there was someone standing behind over.

Nana turned over to face the woman.

"Ma'am? I didn't hear you come in-?!"

Without warning, the woman had picked up Nana, and pressed her against the wall, trapping her.

"W-What're you doing?! Stop!" Cried Nana, quickly realizing what was going on.

The woman chuckled and made a sinister smirk.

"I'm gonna enjoy this..."

The woman's face came closer to Nana's.

Purely out of instinct, Nana retaliated.

Nana delivered jabs to the woman's sternum, and sides. As the woman was reeling from the attacks, Nana shoved her away, and raced for the door.

She frantically tried to open the door, only to realize it was locked.

As Nana tried to unlock the door, the woman quickly grabbed Nana, and yanked her away from the door. The woman then forced Nana to the other side of the room, effectively placing herself between Nana and her one escape route.

"Smart girl," She cooed, "But if you were smarter, you'd know trying to get away is useless."

"G-Get away from me, freak!"

The woman snickered, entertained by Nana's attempt to resist.

"HELP!" Screamed Nana, "SOMEBODY! HELP ME! RAPE! SOMEBODY'S TRYING TO RAPE ME! HEEEEELP!"

"I made preparations. No-one's gonna interrupt me having my way with you..."

"Stop! I'm straight! I...I have a boyfr-!"

"Not when I'm done with you."

Nana fought back harder, doing her best to try and overpower the woman in the hopes of holding off just long enough for help to come. For a few seconds, it worked. She'd managed to push the woman back slowly.

"Okay, it was fun before," Said the woman, "But now you're just being annoying!"

The woman pushed back, quickly gaining the upper hand.

"I have to put up with you stupid girls for a year, again and again." Justified the woman, "So it's only fair I take a little something in recompense."

"I'm sorry! I'm a straight girl, and I do well in classes! I respect my teachers, I try to be a model student!" Nana was beginning to go into a full-on panic attack as her hopes that someone would stop the crazy woman were beginning to vanish.

"Pfft!" Laughed the woman, "You're a model, alright. But when I'm finished with you, you just won't be a model student~!"

"HELP-?!"

"Nobody's coming! Slut!" Snarled the woman, "There's no 'knight in shining armor' coming to save you! Now be a good girl and give up!"

Nana had run out of options.

It was over.

She'd never be able to fall in love with Thomas after this.

Nana dreamed of what she and Thomas could've had. In her dream, they got married, and had a lovely daughter. They were a wealthy couple, using their money to live happily and make the world a better place.

But now? Such a dream would never happen. This monstrous woman would steal away anything of romantic value from her, and turn her into nothing more than a toy for her own depraved amusement.

The woman ripped open her blazer and uniform shirt. She made an evil grin as she prepared to violate the student.

If only Thomas were here to save her...

Suddenly, the door busted open.

The woman snapped around, filled with shock and dread.

"What the-?!"

"Get the hell away from the student! Right now!"

"How did-?!"

Suddenly, teachers entered the room, and apprehended the woman before she could do anything further to Nana. The woman was pulled out kicking and screaming. Nana was too lost in her own fear to pay attention.

The offender was fired and locked up, and Nana requested to transfer schools.

At the time, her mother's company was developing IS Units. Seeing as how Nana discovered Thomas attended the IS Academy, Nana requested to be transferred to the IS Academy as a means of getting back together with her childhood friend.

Her action in transferring schools was purely out of how badly she wanted to have Thomas by her side once again.

* * *

Thomas was silent the entire time Nana told her story.

He didn't talk, react, or even act like the bigger person. He didn't do anything other than listen as Nana opened up to him. And that's one of the reasons Nana became so madly in love with Thomas.

Because he was there when someone needed someone who'd listen.

She quickly pulled him into a hug as she started to cry a little, burying her face into his torso.

Thomas calmly wrapped his arms around her as she cried quietly.

"I missed you so badly..." She cried.

Thomas rubbed her back in consolation.

"Okay," He said, "You all can come out now!"

Nana looked up at Thomas to question him.

Suddenly, Chifuyu, Miss Yamada, Tatenashi, and the Representative Candidates all came out from hiding.

"Huh?!" Said Nana, "What's...What?"

"Well," Explained Thomas, "I noticed everyone was trying to keep us separated. I confronted Miss Orimura on the matter, and I arranged for everyone to meet up here so we could hear your story for transferring."

"Really? Why?"

"That kidnapping attempt I told you about? It wasn't too long ago, and everyone's still on edge about it. Which explains why they hassling you so much and trying to keep you from trying to spend time with me."

"I'll admit," Said Chifuyu, "When you came to me about this, I had my doubts. But I'm impressed; You pulled it off."

Thomas nodded in acknowledgement, internally kicking himself for not poking fun at Chifuyu admitting he was right for once.

"Well..." Mumbled Houki.

"I suppose..." Muttered Cecelia.

"We were wrong, okay?! Happy now?!" Snarled Lingyin, embarrassed at the results of the entire ordeal.

"Damn straight." Deadpanned Thomas, letting the girls writhe in their humiliation.

Ichika was absolutely dumbfounded, only just now realizing what had been going on the entire time.

"Wait!" He snapped, "You mean you guys were trying to keep Nana and Thomas apart because of the whole Cinderella thing?!"

"Yes, idiot." Shot Chifuyu.

Chifuyu's face turned scary as she then turned to the girls.

"Now," She spoke, "This humiliation was caused entirely by you 5 all thinking it was a good idea to harass a new student for no good reason. I get your intentions, but the means don't justify the end this time!"

The girls began to panic.

"Alright!" Concluded Chifuyu, "You five are each going to give me an essay-sized apology to reflect on this experience! And sleep in fear for the next few days, I've got something planned for you! And consider yourselves all suspended from using your IS Units unless I tell you! Am I clear?"

"Yes ma'am!" The girls whined in unison.

Laura was having a mental breakdown that her idol hated her now. And the other girls were too scared of whatever cruel and unusual punishment Chifuyu had in store for them in the days to come.

Nana simply hugged Thomas tighter.

"Thanks."

"Anytime."

"I'm never letting go again..."

"I mean...You're gonna have to."

"Huh?"

"Breathing is fun."

"Oh-Sorry! I'm so sorry!" Nana released Thomas, who took in a deep breath of air.

"Now," Said Thomas, "Let's just look at memes, because I'm too tired to do much else."

"Is that so?" Asked Nana

"Yeah."

"I'll get you to your room then." Said Nana, "Don't think I'm letting you go without making you take a nap."

"What?"

Nana took Thomas by the hand.

"You're going to bed, right now, mister!" She snapped, dragging him away, "AND YOU'RE GONNA SLEEP!"

* * *

With much resistance, Nana eventually managed to get Thomas back to his dorm room to sleep in bed.

He must've been quite tired, he passed out quickly when she got him in the bed.

_"Wow,"_ She thought, _"He looks cuter in his sleep then I remember..."_

For some reason, Nana felt the urge to hug Thomas like a teddy bear, and sleep with him.

She giggled, blushed, and quickly perished the thought.

She sighed.

When she thought about it, none of this-going to the IS Academy, having at least one friend-perhaps a lot of other good fortune in Nana's life wouldn't have happened had it not been for that fateful moment Thomas noticed her.

Sure, that was when they became friends. But for Nana, it was the moment she knew she was in love with Thomas.

She chuckled quietly.

Nana turned as something caught her eye.

She looked at the desk, it was that book Thomas took from Nana earlier.

The title was unlabeled.

Well, Thomas _was_ asleep and unable to stop her...

When in Rome...

Nana picked up the book, and began to read.

It was then she discovered Thomas was a decent writer.

She began to read a tale. Judging from the content, Thomas took heavy inspiration from his own real-life experiences to create the story. It was a tale about a fantasy land, knights, samurai, princesses, magic, and much more of the like.

She was going to ask Thomas for a copy when he finished.

For once, Nana felt so happy.

She was reunited with her best friend in the entire world.

To make their romance a reality, she'd take her time.

Love meant patience, after all.

* * *

**A/N: At last! I can finally do something, whatever that is I don't know.**

**I've set up a draft for an AU Chapter for the storybook Thomas wrote, leave a review telling whether or not you want to see it!**

**But finally, I've introduced Thomas's love interest; Nana! This time, I'll think I'll give her final profile.**

**Nana Parker, Japanese-American, 5'4, silky black hair, and golden eyes.**

**Her IS Unit is the Geargaia. The Geargaia is a 3rd-Generation IS Unit designed for tanking. It's a heavy artillery-type with many close-quarters and long range capabilities.**

**Geargaia is armed with a heavy Charged-Particle ****Cannon, a Railgun, a Barrier Shield, a Pile Bunker, Spiked Knuckledusters, Twin Assault Blasters, Twin Missile Launcher Racks, a Gauss Cannon, and a Vulcan Gatling Gun.**

**The Unit's design follows the ROTF Concept Art Optimus Prime Power Up. It's headgear is antennae designed similar to Optimus Prime's antennae from the Micheal Bay films.**

**Although I may have made a profile earlier, I tweaked it and so, this profile is the one I'm going with.**

**Here's to hoping this works out!**

**Next time: The Warrior Princess.**

**After what seems like an eternity, the IS Academy receives a third male student!**

**Thomas and Ichika meet their newest member of their little group, Elias Dansforth, the heir to the Dansforth Company and a Representative Candidate for England! ****And they quickly discover this young man has the hots for none other than Cecelia Alcott!**

**But what will happen when Elias discovers Cecelia's affections for Ichika?**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	16. The Warrior Princess Part 1

**Hello again! I'm happy, because I feel like this was the perfect time to add another guy into the mix!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**The IS Academy is in uproar, for a third male IS Pilot has surfaced!**

**Ichika and Thomas meet Elias Dansforth, the heir to the Dansforth Company and a Representative Candidate for England!**

**Elias is just the pretty-boy that easily catches the eyes of the student body, quickly gaining a following faster than Thomas and Ichika! With the three of them now in the same place, the Academy Students are ecstatic that their boy group grows ever more!**

**However, Elias is quite shy around girls, and Thomas attempts to get to the bottom of it. And Thomas quickly discovers Elias is hiding a dark secret behind his past...as well as Cecelia's!**

**The boys quickly discover that Elias has the hots for none other than Cecelia Alcott!**

**But how will Elias react when he discovers Cecelia is in love with Ichika?**

* * *

Thomas and Ichika knew something was happening as they went to class that morning.

The girls were a lot more hyperactive than usual. On top of that, the mobs of fangirls weren't chasing them around at all. Sure, Ichika thought it was a much-needed and welcome change of pace, but Thomas was unsettled.

"Aw, what?" Teased Ichika, "You actually _liked_ having all those girls chasing after you?"

"No..." Explained Thomas, "I just think its weird they're not trying to maul us all of the sudden."

Suddenly Honne jumped right in front of the boys, her face lit up with joy.

"This is so wonderful!" She cheered, "We have a third boy! There's a third boy attending the IS Academy!"

Thomas and Ichika looked at each other.

The two then raced off in search of this alleged third boy.

After a lot of searching, they were frustrated with their search being fruitless.

"This is impossible!" Snapped Ichika, "The Academy campus is too big! How're we sposta find this guy?!"

Thomas got an idea.

"Simple," He said, "We follow the mob."

Ichika quickly caught on.

The boys jogged around, looking for any massive group of girls, rather than this new boy. Almost immediately, their efforts proved fruitful. Sure enough, there was a massive horde of girls amassing nearby the arena locker room.

After doing their best to push their way through the crowd, they saw him.

He was blonde, with short hair in a fowhawk style. He had pale skin, and was no doubt a Western Caucasian. Thomas noted that his appearance was a bit lanky. The aura around him was that of elegance, his appearance alone implied he came from a wealthy family.

Currently, the boy had a nervous look on his face.

Perhaps he was shy.

The girls, seeing Ichika and Thomas, pulled back to make space for the three of them.

The boy looked around, only to have his eyes fall upon the two boys standing before him.

"Aha! Found you at last!" Said the boy, his nervous face turning jovial.

He had an English Accent. Cecelia would get along swimmingly.

The boys all relaxed, despite the girls around them ready to pounce.

"Hi!" Greeted Ichika, "I'm Ichika Orimura, great to see you!"

"I'm Thomas Scott," Thomas introduced, "And you are?"

"Oh, excuse me," Chuckled the boy, "I am Elias Dansforth, pleasure to make your acquaintances!"

The three each shook hands with each other, and the crowds around them went into an uproar. The newspaper club quickly organized an impromptu photo-shoot of the event as it unfolded. Elias seemed more than happy to take the shoot in private.

Chifuyu quickly dispersed the crowd, as it was almost time for class.

* * *

Homeroom passed by quickly that day.

The students were all in the arena, dressed in pilot uniforms, counting down the moments until they got to see their newest boy in action. Currently, Elias's uniform was a pure white color, with a crimson trim.

Chifuyu walked onto the field in her tracksuit.

The girls were about ready to burst.

"Orimura! Scott!" Called Chifuyu, "Today, you'll team-up in a quick match against Miss Yamada!"

The girls all groaned with utter disappointment.

""DID I STUTTER?!" Snarled Chifuyu, quickly getting the girls back into proper composure.

Miss Yamada stepped out with her own Rafale-Revive.

"Well," She said, "It's not like Scott's, but I wanna see who's the better Revive Pilot between us!"

Ichika and Thomas steeled their nerves as they deployed their Units, and took up positions.

"Oh, and Miss Yamada?" Called Chifuyu, "Try not to completely annihilate them, okay?"

"Roger!"

Ichika and Thomas breathed.

Miss Yamada was an Ex-Representative, she was most likely still in her prime as well. Ichika had also told Thomas about how she easily crushed Lingyin and Cecelia earlier in the school year.

Ichika was nervous. Sure, he and Thomas had practiced tag-team moves, but they never actually used them in a fight before!

Thomas grinned.

"'Bout time I got to fight a professional!" He said confidently.

Miss Yamada made a sinister grin.

"Here I come!" She called.

The battle began.

Miss Yamada quickly went on the attack, firing a barrage of missiles at the boys.

Thomas anticipated the attack. However, he also knew she wasn't trying to blitz them outright. If that were the case, she'd have gone with the Grenade Launcher. No, she was trying to distract them.

Thomas flew forward, flying directly at Miss Yamada.

"Tommy!" Cried Ichika, "Watch out!"

The missiles were mere feet away from Thomas, was he really planning to tank the attack?!

Suddenly, Thomas dropped at his knees and leaned back, performing a power slide to safely move past the missiles! The missiles were locked onto Thomas, but too slow to match Thomas's sudden movements. They hit the ground behind Thomas as he swiftly moved back onto his feet.

Miss Yamada was stunned, but ready for Thomas.

She deployed her Grenade Launcher, and opened fire.

Thomas skillfully swayed out of harm's way as he skated across the ground. Thomas quickly closed the distance between them. He deployed his Shield Pierce, and drew back for a hook.

However, Miss Yamada was waiting for that moment.

She lashed out with a left jab, deploying her own Shield Pierce. The blow went right into Thomas's solar plexus, and sent him flying back. Ichika opened fire with his Charged Particle Cannon, attempting to hit from long range.

Miss Yamada retaliated with her own Sniper Rifle, easily shooting the Byakushki's foot, and causing Ichika to crash into the ground.

The boys quickly pulled back, and realigned themselves side-by-side.

Chifuyu smirked.

The girls were getting nervous, this would reflect very poorly on the boys if they embarrassed themselves in front of Elias right out of the gate! If they failed here, Elias would never take them seriously!

Thomas and Ichika grinned.

"You sure about this?" Asked Ichika.

"Well, we boys gotta win with style, don't we?"

Ichika and Thomas once more took to the air.

Thomas flew slower than Ichika for some reason. Miss Yamada could tell they had something planned.

But what?

Ichika flew relatively overhead Miss Yamada, who deployed her Sniper Rifle, and took aim.

The boy suddenly paused, stopping mid-flight.

"Tag-Team Attack!" He declared.

Thomas suddenly flew in front of Ichika.

Ichika jumped back, curling into a ball.

Thomas rolled forward, doing the same.

Suddenly, their legs shot out, connecting with the bottoms of their feet.

**"Two-Stage Rocket!"** They shouted in unison.

Suddenly, Thomas launched right for Miss Yamada with incalculable speed!

Elias had an awestruck look on his face.

He moved too quickly for Miss Yamada to process. Miss Yamada was unable to do anything to counter, and wound up being tackled hard by Thomas as he smashed right into her, grabbing her in a bear hug.

With Miss Yamada disabled, Thomas kept her stunned as Ichika got into position. Ichika deployed his Energy Claw, and Thomas deployed both of his Shield Pierces. The boys then proceeded to beat Miss Yamada down.

They timed their attack perfectly, striking simultaneously to further increase the impacts and damage of their attacks.

The Instructor was simply overwhelmed!

Each time she tried to counter, Thomas and Ichika evaded and quickly returned to pummeling her senseless! She only had one chance to escape before the boys completely pulverized her!

She quickly fired her Revive's missiles at point-blank range!

With the boys distracted by them, she quickly turned the tide!

She then began to mercilessly tear into the boys when they were distracted.

Ichika pulled back, and readied for an all-out attack with the Yukihira Nagata...

...Only to find he'd already run out of power.

Miss Yamada turned away from Ichika, and began to restrain Thomas. She then fired her Grenade Launcher at him, despite her attention being on Thomas. Ichika was unable to escape, and was defeated in mere couple of shots.

The Byakushki recalled, confirming Ichika was down and out.

Thomas, on the other hand, was barely holding on.

Now that Ichika was out, Miss Yamada could turn her full attention on him.

However, Thomas still had tricks up his sleeve.

Miss Yamada brought out her Shield Pierce, raising her arm to unleash a one-handed beat-down.

"Sorry, Scott." She apologized, "But once I get going, I just can't stop!"

"Funny," He sneered with unsettling confidence, "Neither can I!"

Suddenly, Thomas opened the Missile Rack on his thigh, and pulled out a missile. He thrust the object hard, and jammed the warhead into a gap of the Revive's armor-plating.

And then, the missile began to chirp.

Miss Yamada frantically let go of Thomas, and began a very vain attempt to remove the missile. Thomas must've set the warhead on a timer! Miss Yamada reached for the missile, but Thomas had wedged it in a spot under her arm that the Revive was too big to reach!

"Shit!" She hissed under her breath.

She looked back to Thomas, only to see that Thomas had deployed his hip-mounted Charged-Particle Cannon.

It didn't take a genius to know what he was thinking.

Thomas accurately struck the missile with a bolt from his Cannon, and blew Miss Yamada away. The Instructor fell to a dazed heap in front of the students, and Thomas stood back up, pausing to take in his victory.

The class went into yet another uproar at Thomas's clever coup de grace.

"Alright!" Snapped Chifuyu, "Now, Dansforth! You're going to face-off against Dunois! Deploy your Units and get to it!"

"Y-Yes!" Stuttered Elias, quickly running to switch places with the boys.

Charlotte deployed her Revive, and brought out her PDWs.

Elias deployed his Unit, and finally answered the unsaid question the student body had.

His Unit was reminiscent in shape of Blue Tears, albeit a completely different color scheme. It was snow white, with crimson red accents. His right arm carried what looked to be a Beam Rifle tailored specifically to the IS's arm, much like that of Silent Zephyrs.

"I...I'm not going to hold back!" He declared.

"Good!" Said Chifuyu, "You're not supposed to!"

Thomas could see that Elias was trembling in his Unit.

This was going to be over quickly.

"Start!"

Charlotte wasted no time, skating right for Elias with her PDWs blazing.

Elias clumsily pulled out of the way in a nick of time...

...Only to wind up being in the path of Charlotte's Pile Bunker flying right for his head.

The students all winced as they watched Elias go long like a football.

Elias almost completely buckled as he tried getting back up.

He then pulled his Rifle back up, and took aim. He tried to open fire, only to miss every single shot. Charlotte simply retaliated with her Sniper Rifle, quickly shoot Elias off his feet yet again.

The students could tell this fight was already lost.

Elias's performance was pitiful compared to that of Thomas and Ichika.

His stance was way off, he was shaking way too much, he wasn't even aiming, he didn't even try to move.

Thomas looked around to see the students' reactions.

He then noticed Cecelia.

Whereas everyone else had pained, disappointed looks on their faces, Cecelia stared as though she was reliving a bad memory.

Thomas turned back to the fight, only to find that Charlotte quit using her guns, in favor of close-quarters.

She'd brought out her Combat Knife, and Elias yelped in panic.

After Charlotte prodded Elias profusely, she switched back to her Pile Bunkers, and began to beat Elias senseless. Elias covered his head with his arms, making a cheap imitation of a boxing block.

With a single combo attack, Charlotte quickly finished him off.

Elias fell to the ground, and put out his trembling hands to surrender. Charlotte stopped, absolutely dumbstruck by Elias's sudden fit of fear. Elias's eyes were filled with terror, as though Charlotte was giving him a nightmare.

"I give, I give!" He pleaded, "Just...Please, I'll behave."

Everyone was taken aback. Was the newest boy a weakling?

"Well, he surrendered, Dunois is the victor!" Declared Chifuyu.

She then noticed something about Elias.

"Dansforth." Said Chifuyu, "You're shaking. Go to the Infirmary."

Elias was shivering and trembling as he left the field to go to the Infirmary. He left the field without saying a word to anyone, and had a fear-stricken look on his face. He was hyperventilating, a sign of a serious problem.

Thomas, Ichika, and Chifuyu all left the class that day knowing something was very wrong with Elias.

* * *

Thomas caught up with Elias at dinnertime.

"You're looking better." He greeted.

"Ah! Good Thomas!" Said Elias, as though nothing had happened, "Well, I must ask that one could forgive my...erratic behavior."

"Well, you can tell me all about it."

"I'd..." Elias's joyous act turned suspiciously depressed, "I'd...Much rather not. It's not something I would want to bring up. Ever."

"I see...Well, I won't pry all too much."

"A thousand graces. Now, do tell me about...Anything, really. I'd be most gracious to know about you and Orimura. See, I'd love for the three of us to create a long-standing friendship."

"Says you, of all people." Teased Thomas, "Well, Ichika and I were actually old friends since elementary. And the Instructor you met is actually his older sister-but you didn't hear that from me."

"Really? I thought she was more of his mother."

Thomas almost bust his gut in laughter.

"His parents abandoned the two of them at birth, she practically raised him herself from what I can tell."

"And what of you? You're old friends, you said."

"Mhm. My mom and Miss Orimura were friends. At least, that's what I was told..."

"What do you mean?"

"Y'see...My mom vanished after I was born. I never really had many friends, and my dad was too busy to properly raise me on his own. So, Miss Orimura became a big sister figure to help compensate."

"Really?!"

"That's about the size of it." Thomas suddenly glanced away, "Say..."

"Hm?"

"You wouldn't happen to know Cecelia Alcott, would you?"

"Of course I do!" Snapped Elias, "Lady Cecelia once attended the same academy as me. Even then, her beauty was everlasting! She was the pride and joy of the academy until she left to deal with far more important matters!"

Thomas secretly glanced away again.

He'd noticed Cecelia was sitting within earshot, and wanted to test a theory.

Currently, Cecelia was glaring daggers at the boys with her cheeks flushed red.

Elias was so buried in his rant he didn't notice.

Good.

"If I didn't know any better..." Accused Thomas, "I'd say that you have a schoolgirl crush on Cecelia."

"Of course I do! What man worth his salt wouldn't be enthralled by such a lovely lady?! If you don't worship her beauty, then _clearly_ such a woman is beyond your league, you pitiful commoner!"

"That's quite enough of that!" Snarled Cecelia, whipping around angrily, "I can't believe this! Just what are you doing here, Dansforth?!"

"Cecelia, my love?!"

"Certainly not yours! I'd much rather be betrothed to the likes of Thomas before a spineless boy like you! Get it through your head that whatever romance you think we have, is nonexistent! We'd only ever been in proximity once! And ever since then, you won't stop wasting time with pointless declarations of some false promise you call love! Admit it! You were only attracted to me because I came from a more wealthy family!"

"But milady-!"

"Don't 'milady' me! You're a frail child! I pitied you once, but now I just get too annoyed to care!"

Cecelia stomped off, fuming.

Thomas took in everything.

"I think I'm starting to get it now..."

"Get what?!" Snapped Elias.

"Come with me." Said Thomas, standing up to leave, "You've made a scene already, no need for an encore."

* * *

Thomas told Elias everything.

He told him about his own experiences with Cecelia.

He made sure to tell him about Cecelia's affections for Ichika.

But Elias's reaction was not what Thomas expected.

Thomas expected Elias to throw a fit. If cheesy romance movies had any bit of realism, Thomas expected Elias to go as far as challenging Ichika to a duel for Cecelia's love interest. He even expected Elias would lose it, and pull a stunt that would get himself expelled.

However, Elias didn't do any of that.

After Thomas had finished, and paused for Elias's reaction, Elias simply stood there.

His face was somber, and he began to cry silently.

"Wow." Said Thomas, "Didn't see that coming."

"I...I'm sorry." Blubbered Elias, "It's unbecoming of me. Real men don't cry..."

He then got emotionally violent.

"Dammit!" He cried, his volume increasing, "I should've foreseen this! Lady Cecelia was right! I really _am_ a pitiful, spineless, cowardly, childish, annoying brat who's in love with her money..."

Elias began to cry and curl into a ball.

"I'll _never_ be like you!"

Thomas flinched.

"What?"

"I look up to you, dammit!" Elias confessed, "You and Ichika are able to stand on your own so greatly! You could take any lady in this Academy with your status! Imagine that! A nobleman-no, not even a man-a noble _boy_ looking up to a commoner, simply because he's like that of a champion!"

Thomas suddenly picked Elias off the ground, and set him back on his feet.

"Listen, buddy." Said Thomas, "What makes you say that you can't?"

"I'm too weak!"

"Wrong."

Elias's whimpering began to cease a little, the boy opened his eyes to look at Thomas.

"What?"

"That's what you say, but that's not the answer."

"What d'you mean?!"

"Being weak just means you have more chances to prove that you're strong."

Elias's crying had stopped.

"So," Said Thomas, "I'm going to teach you."

"Really?!"

"You don't get to choose."

"Why?"

"We're a rare breed, IS guys." Said Thomas, "Besides, I might be able to help with your lady troubles."

"How?!"

"So many questions...Right. Anyway, Cecelia's into tough, independent dudes. So, simply put, we gotta make you tougher."

"Teach me!"

"Just don't cry about it when you realize how tough it's gonna be."

"I won't!"

Elias would soon come to realize why Thomas would demand such resilience.

* * *

_Day 1._

Elias fell right on his right.

"I see now..." Said Thomas, "This is gonna be a lot harder than I thought."

"I'm not done yet!" Elias said, getting to his feet.

"Where was this resolve when you fought Charlotte?!" Said Thomas, "If you actually stood you ground, you might've stood a chance!"

"As a gentleman, I could never hit a woman."

"Then you came to the wrong school!"

Thomas had begun drilling Elias with brutal IS Matches during their own time. Thomas easily noticed that Elias had absolutely no experience in an IS, just like himself when he started out.

However, the difference was that Thomas was a lot more adept at figuring out how to pilot an IS.

Elias's performance was piss-poor, at best.

Thomas wasn't even trying at all, and he was still giving Elias a thrashing.

However, Elias had a confidence about him that wasn't present during his fight with Charlotte.

In the days that came and went, Thomas could see very clearly Elias had a strange shyness around girls. Whenever girls came up to him, he always had a blushing, nervous look on his face. Whenever girls tried to guide him to places, he usually began to panic as though he'd done something wrong.

And whenever Cecelia laid eyes upon him, she'd immediately turn away, and a guilty look on her face would remain as she quickly left.

Something happened between the two of them, and Thomas wanted to know what.

Thomas was begin smart. Not only was he training Elias, but with every jib and barb, he began to draw out more and more of Elias's history. Elias may not have figured it out, but Thomas was insulting him in such a way that was subtly getting him to talk about himself.

But he needed more time.

* * *

_Day 2._

"Hey boys~!" Greeted Tatenashi.

"Greetings, Ma'am!" Cracked Elias.

"Aw~! Don't be so formal!" Assured Tatenashi, "My my, Thomas, you're taking on a protege?"

"Considering how quickly he submitted against Charlotte, I felt it was best."

"Good on you! How's that going?"

"Early days, and he really sucks, but I'm doing my best."

Tatenashi quickly began to assist Thomas, having Elias do drills, PT, and lots more drills.

Elias was quickly overwhelmed and worn out.

Thomas looked up to the bleachers of the arena.

Cecelia was simply staring at Elias as he worked. She had a somber look on her face, and appeared to be spacing out. Thomas could tell that she was remembering something, presumably about her implied history with Elias.

Elias wouldn't say anything other than glorifying Cecelia.

As much as Thomas hated to...

...He needed to get the answers he needed from Cecelia.

* * *

_That night._

Cecelia somberly walked back to her dorm room.

"What was Elias thinking?" She asked herself, "Why would he go to place the would treat him worse than the academy?"

Cecelia walked into her dorm room, closed the door, and turned on the lights...

...Only to find Thomas sitting in the chair for the room's desk.

Cecelia yelped in surprise.

"Thomas?!" She cried, "Wha-?! How-?! How did you get in here?!"

"Through the balcony, of course."

Cecelia was dumbstruck.

"I need to talk to you." Said Thomas.

"What's going on?"

"It's about Elias."

Cecelia's shock had dissipated to disappointment.

"Please." She said politely, despite turning away in shame, "Leave, now."

"Not until I get answers."

"Get out!"

"Maybe you haven't noticed," Said Thomas getting out of the chair, "But I know something happened between you and Elias, and right now, I need to know what! He's not gonna last long unless I can find a way to help!"

Thomas's expression softened.

"And I can't help unless I know what's wrong."

Cecelia kept her back turned, weighing her options.

"Fine." She conceded, "I'll tell you."

"Good."

Cecelia and Thomas sat down in chairs, and Cecelia told him what she knew.

"Well," Admitted Cecelia, "You see, the problem isn't what's happened between me and Elias..."

Cecelia closed her eyes in shame.

"...But what didn't."

It didn't take long for Thomas to catch on.

"So," He presented, "From what I can tell, you two never had a thing to begin with, but he's still trying to fall in love with you."

"The only time I ever actually directly interacted with him was during a play."

"Do tell." Said Thomas, paying more attention.

"It was known as 'The Warrior Princess.'" Cecelia explained, "I was the main character in the play, the Warrior Princess. The story was about a princess who set out to rescue a meek prince who'd been abducted by an evil witch. Afterward, the princess and prince were said to have married and live happily ever after."

"I see...I take it Elias played the prince?"

"Indeed. And ever since then, he's tried to court me. But..."

"But?"

"He's just too meek! Sure, his act in the play was convincing, but in reality, he was far more submissive!"

"How so?"

"I...Can't say. I don't want to think about it."

Thomas processed the new information.

"I've wasted enough of your time." He apologized, "This has been insightful, thank a bullion."

Thomas got up to leave.

"Wait!" Said Cecelia.

"Hm?"

"Promise me."

"What?"

"Promise me you'll make Elias strong."

Thomas locked eyes with Cecelia.

"I'll do what I can."

Thomas left.

Cecelia wrapped her blanket around herself.

She began to turn inward, and reflect upon herself.

* * *

_Day 3._

"Again!" Ordered Thomas.

"Ugh!" Whined Elias.

"Don't 'ugh,' me!"

Currently, Thomas was teaching Elias boxing combinations. So far, they'd practiced a three-box combo, and now Thomas was training Elias with four-box combos.

"I've done this drill a thousand times!"

"And you'll do it a thousand times more!"

"But why?! I have a gun, dammit! And I have a sword and shield, more guns, and Optical Drones! So why must I rely upon my fists?!"

"If you haven't noticed, you're pitiful with aiming. And until you learn to walk before you run, you'll do with your fists before your sword and shield!"

After a few minutes of Elias trying to hit the air, Thomas decided to actually test him.

"About time I get to actually hit something!" Said Elias.

"Alright then. Pud'em up!"

Elias and Thomas brought up their fists.

Elias quickly went on the attack.

Closing the distance between them, Elias unleashed a brutal onslaught upon Thomas with jabs and hooks.

However, Thomas was far faster.

Thomas moved to fast for Elias to do anything. After some time spent dodging, Thomas quickly laid Elias out with an overhand punch.

The boys called it quits, and went to the locker room.

"How did you do that?! I didn't even see you!"

"Practice."

"Oh..."

"Well, I worked hard to be where I am. Y'see, if your opponent's stronger, you gotta be quicker. And if they're quicker, you gotta be smarter."

"But what if they're all three?"

"Then you just gotta be better."

"Easy for you to say!"

"Not really."

"I just can't do what you do!"

Thomas stopped.

He turned to face Elias, and began to train him again.

"Alright then," He said, "pud'em up."

"What?"

"You heard me, pud'em up."

Elias hesitantly took up a boxing stance, and Thomas did the same.

"Okay," He said, "First thing; don't let the adrenaline rush go to your head."

Elias steadied his breathing.

"Now, keep your hips square to your opponent, and watch 'em."

Elias steeled his nerves.

Thomas threw a punch, and Elias swiftly dodged.

"That's the way!"

Elias smirked.

"Alright," Said Thomas, lingering with his punch, "Now that the opponent's off-balance, your counter."

"What?"

"Yeah. Just gimme one to the jaw or something. Let me have it."

Elias processed, and lashed out with a timid right.

The boys paused.

* * *

"Hey," Said Ichika, "Miss Orimura? Where are Thomas and Elias?"

"Hm? Last I saw them, they were going to the infirmary near the arena locker room. Scott and Dansforth were nursing Scott's jaw, if I saw correctly."

"Thanks Chifuyu-!"

Chifuyu brought a chop to Ichika's head.

"T-Thank you...Miss Orimura..."

"Better. And now you have an excuse to join them."

"Mhm..." Whimpered Ichika, leaving the room.

* * *

"I am so sorry!" Cried Elias.

"It's fine..." Mumbled Thomas, "I _literally_ asked for it."

Elias had struck Thomas right behind the right side of his jaw, hitting a nerve in the process.

Currently, Thomas was nursing the area with an ice pack.

"Helluva right you got there."

"Yes...Thank you."

"Honestly, if you're tough enough to do that, then why couldn't you take on Charlotte?"

"I..." Elias said, his voice nearly dropping, "I'm a True Gentleman! I could never strike a woman!"

"Stop it."

"What?"

"Just...Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"When you said 'True Gentleman,' It sounded so obviously forced. I'm seriously tired of you trying to say something if you don't mean it."

"But..."

"No. I'm not finished talking." Interrupted Thomas, "I've talked with Cecelia, and she told me about the whole Warrior Princess thing."

"What?!"

"However," Continued Thomas, "She was going to say something else, but she didn't out of shame."

"What about?"

"About how meek you are."

"Oh..."

"I know I said I wouldn't pry...But you're scared."

"I'm not scared!" Elias snapped, a glare on his face.

"Really?" Retorted Thomas, "When you fought Charlotte, you were shaking in your giant robot boots! You were scared and you're lying to yourself if you keep saying that you weren't! There's something wrong, and I can't help you fix it if you don't tell me what's wrong!"

Elias's expression softened. He then took a seat next to Thomas, twiddling his thumbs, and looking away in shame.

"I...Admit it." He broke, "I was quite meek, and I still am."

Thomas said nothing.

He found it best to let people vent, and listen.

"Back when me and Cecelia attended the same academy, back in England," Explained Elias, "I was always frail and meek. Every day, I would wake up, go to classes, and...And in the halls, the girls of the academy would isolate me as their own plaything."

Elias stopped twiddling his thumbs.

"Each and every day of that accursed place...Female students would come up, and drag me away from wherever and whenever to do with me as they pleased. It was awful...They'd touch me in certain places and in certain ways, and I was too scared to do anything. They quickly made me understand that if I were to try and fight back in any way, they'd only get more violent and forceful."

Thomas could see that Elias was beginning to cry silently as he continued.

"I was too afraid to do anything. I was too scared to stand up for myself, or even just leave. They told me that no-one would believe me, or that no-one would care, or that they'd encourage it."

Elias made a deep breath.

"However, I did find hope."

He made a sad smile.

"I auditioned for The Warrior Princess. I ended up being the role of the Prince, waiting for the daring Princess to rescue him. It was when I first met Cecelia. I suppose that something clicked within me."

Elias made a chuckle.

"As the play went on, I felt so touched by Lady Cecelia's performance. Like before, a girl was coming to take me away. However, unlike ever before, or after, she wasn't going to abuse me. But rather, the lady who'd come for me had done so out of love."

Elias's smile brightened a little.

"I was enthralled. Sure, it was only a facade, but for some reason, I just couldn't help but feel as though it were real. And after, I wanted nothing more than that romance to be real. It was the first time, and I felt it to be the only time I needed."

Elias's face became depressed once again.

"However, Lady Cecelia didn't feel the same. I did what I could to reach out to her, proclaim my affections for her. But...Time and time again, I was miserably rejected. Eventually, as the play's hype settled, things continued as they were."

The boy bowed his head.

"Although I kept trying, Lady Cecelia continued rejecting. And, due to my success in starring in the Prince, the awful, lecherous girls of the academy paid more attention to me than ever before."

Elias went back to whimpering.

"Something was different with the girls, however. Whatever was holding them back before was simply...gone. They stepped up in their abuse, doing much more dangerous things. Not only were they sexually harassing me, but now they were doing far worse. They beat me, hurt me in ways I prayed I could never understand, despite the horrid truth that I did understand."

Elias's tears flowed even greater.

"Not too long after the play, however, Lady Cecelia's parents had passed. She had to leave the academy for the sake of her family's company and wealth. I suppose she did have feelings for me, for some unnatural reason, the day she left, she came to look for me. However, it was one of the times the other girls of the academy wanted to vent their urges and frustrations."

He nearly broke down completely.

"The girls had ushered me into a room. Cecelia must have been watching, because she'd followed. The girls had bound my wrists, and began to strip me of my clothes. They'd almost made me completely indecent when Cecelia had entered the room, and bore witness. The girls had emphasized how I was their boy-toy, and even offered Cecelia to join in with them."

Elias paused.

"She stood there, looking as though she'd been betrayed. She'd only paused for a short time, right before slamming the door and leaving me to the she-wolves without so much as glance backwards."

Elias made a choked sob, and continued.

"At the end of my final year in that school...It was the beginning of my high school year. At the time, my family company was under great financial struggle, and on the verge of collapse. Those...harpies somehow knew how horrible things were, and wanted to make it worse. I thought it wouldn't get worse than the beatings, and the touching. But, I...Was so wrong."

Elias began to cry, but pressed onward with his story.

"One day, they took me away, as usual. However, something seemed different. They took me to a room, stripped me, and yet, they didn't beat me, or touch me. At least, not right away. However, the girls began to group together, even bigger than before. They stood over me, and without warning..."

Elias cried louder.

"They...They...Did the deed."

Elias placed his face in his hands, and sobbed. Thomas, however, knew that Elias wasn't finished. Thomas placed his hand of Elias's shoulder. Elias took it as a sign of friendship.

Elias stopped crying, and finished his story.

"And after, I was able to come home during a holiday. My parents were too busy trying to save to company to pay attention to me. One night, I went to see the Is they were developing. I rested my hand upon it, and it moved. People were watching, and my parents saw an opportunity to save their company. Quickly, they switched me over to the IS Academy, and the rest is history."

Thomas remained silent.

Elias's entire shortcoming was due to misfortune. His inability to pilot an IS, his fear of fighting a girl, it all made sense now. Elias had been trained to believe he could never fight a girl.

And now that he knew what was wrong, he could fix the problem.

Ichika had been listening from behind the door, and quietly left.

"I apologize a thousand times for being so pitiful, real men don't cry."

"That's not true."

Elias looked at Thomas, his tears still flowing.

"What?"

"I don't know if you ever knew, but even real men cry when they need to."

Elias smiled.

Without warning, Elias hugged Thomas.

"I apologize again," He said, "That was unbecoming of me."

"Well," Said Thomas, "It's another one of those moments where you have to."

"...Thanks."

"Now we just gotta get rid of that fear of fighting girls."

"Really?!" Elated Elias, "How?!"

"My opinion? You fight Charlotte again."

"What?!" Cried Elias.

"We'll have you duel Charlotte in two weeks. That way, I have enough time to teach you everything I know."

Thomas looked Elias in the eye.

"So, how about it?"

Elias thought long and hard.

"I'll do it."

* * *

**A/N: Done! I felt like taking a bit of a darker turn, I don't know why though.**

**Anyway, Elias Dansforth is now a character, so I'll give a quick description.**

**Elias Dansforth, British, 5'5, blonde fohawk, green eyes.**

**Elias's IS is the Knight Gunner, a third version of the Blue Tears. The Knight Gunner was meant to be an improvement on both Silent Zephyrs and Blue Tears. The Unit is armed with 10 Optical Drones, 4 Beam Cannons, A Charge Cannon with a Sniper and Automatic function, a Thermal Claymore and Barrier Shield with a Pile Bunker.**

**The Unit's design is mostly similar to the Earlecumber from _Knight's and Magic_. The Unit has a porcelain white color with crimson red accents.**

**I chose this design because I wanted to make it seem like that of a knight, since Elias wants to be chivalrous, but is currently too scared to do so. I don't know why, but I kept thinking of Jonathan Joestar while coming up with Elias's character.**

**But don't worry, he'll soon grow out of that fear.**

**Anyway, let me know what you think of this!**

**Next time: The Warrior Princess Part 2!**

**Thomas begins to train Elias harder than before! With only two weeks to prepare for a second round against Charlotte, Thomas must find a way to get Elias to have the courage to fight a girl.**

**Can they find a way? Or will Elias forever cower in his own fear?**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	17. The Warrior Princess Part 2

**Here we go! The second part of The Warrior Princess!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**With Elias's tragic experience revealed, Thomas sets out to help the heir rebuild his confidence!**

**In a bold move, the boys arrange a rematch between Charlotte and Elias in order to help Elias work up the courage to fight back! With only two weeks to prepare, Thomas quickly teaches Elias how to fight in an IS.**

**It seems as though Thomas is doing a lot more behind the scenes, however...**

**But will Elias be ready?**

* * *

_The Past..._

_"My my..." Sneered one girl, "If it isn't our little boy-toy?"_

_"Where do you think you're off to, boy-toy? Classes aren't for a good while, and we have urges we want to vent." Cooed another._

_"But...I..." Stuttered Elias, earning himself a firm slap to his cheek._

_"When we want to hear your excuses, we will ask! But right now...We want to hear your screams."_

_The girls all roughly snatched Elias by his arms, and violently dragged him to an empty room._

_"It's so nice, we get a pet dog like this all to ourselves!"_

_"Now now, remember that this dog's public property! Everyone should get the chance to use him to relieve stress!"_

_"Here here!"_

_Elias remained silent._

_"I just love it how he dares not to fight back! So obedient, he really is a dog after all!"_

_"That's because he knows what we'll do if he thinks he's too good for us."_

_Elias nearly started to cry._

_The awful girls that attended the academy all knew just how submissive Elias was. He was one of the few boys, due to his status, that were actually able to attend the academy, since the only students were rich girls._

_"Although," Said one girl, "I think it's a little unfair, because good girls were denied the chance to attend this academy because these piggish boys all thought they could attend, and be equal to women!"_

_"That's quite unfair, isn't it?"_

_"What do you think, boy-toy?"_

_Elias was too afraid to speak, his answer would determine what they would do to him._

_He received another slap to the face._

_"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!" Snarled the girl._

_"...Y-Yes..." He whimpered softly._

_"Is that so? Well, maybe you should quit the academy then. After all, you're no better than a sex-toy at this point!"_

_The girl shoved him against the wall, and lifted his chin._

_"Then again," She considered, "If you did leave, we'd be so stressed out without our little entertainment."_

_"That's right!" Agreed another girl, "You're really our hero!"_

_"Without you, we'd be in torment!"_

_"Look girls!" Teased the third girl, "Our precious hero's offering himself to us! He really is so noble and kind, isn't he?"_

_They all laughed, knowing full well Elias wanted to protest._

_They ripped off his shirt and blazer, and tied his wrists to keep him from resisting. Although, they knew full well that Elias wouldn't even struggle, making it easier to play with him._

_But seeing him in such a pitiful way just made them feel so much better about themselves._

_They shoved him to the floor, grabbing and touching him in certain...areas._

_He tried to hide it, but they'd forced him into such a state._

_The girls noticed Elias trying to close his legs in humiliation. He closed his eyes, his face was flushed red._

_He just couldn't face anyone like this._

_They laughed harder._

_"I don't believe this!" Giggled the first girl, "He's...He's actually getting off on this!"_

_"My word! He's a masochist!"_

_"Well, who are we to deny him the pleasure?"_

_"Elias?" Called Cecelia._

_Elias's eyes shot open._

_Everyone all looked to see Cecelia, standing in the doorway. Her mouth was agape, and her eyes were wide._

_She covered her mouth, shocked and horrified._

_"My my," Said the first girl, "If it isn't Cecelia Alcott! Don't mind us, we were just reminding this dog where his place is; under the heels of a woman."_

_"W-What...?"_

_"Women are superior to men, of course!"_

_"Where are our manners?!" Said the second girl, "Come join us, won't you?"_

_The third girl picked up Elias, cupped his chin with her hand, and brought him in to steal a kiss from him. Elias made only a small attempt to resist, but was took weak to pull away. The girl's lips met his, and he was powerless to push her away._

_Cecelia saw that Elias's eyes were wide open, horrified by what the girl was doing to him._

_She stumbled back._

_And finally, Cecelia slammed the door and ran away._

_It was the last time Elias would see Cecelia for a long time._

* * *

_The Present._

"Again!" Shouted Thomas.

Elias brought up his sword and shield.

"Do your worst, villain!" He declared.

Thomas brought out his Combat Knife and his left Barrier Shield.

Quickly, the two boys clashed. Thomas had something of an advantage, due to making quicker strikes with his knife. However, he had to be careful, Elias was one-handing a claymore, which would do some serious damage if Thomas was careless.

Maya and Chifuyu were watching from the control room.

"I'm stunned," Said Maya, "I never expected Dansforth to challenge a rematch with Dunois after that beating she gave him."

"Either he wants to feel good about himself," Said Chifuyu, "Or Scott put him up to it."

Elias was quickly getting good at swordplay, but still required discipline and balance. So far, it was only a single day into their two-week time frame for training Elias to be ready enough to actually stand-off against Charlotte.

Things were a little slow as they were now.

Before Thomas began to train Elias in the two weeks they had, he pulled Charlotte aside to do him a favor.

* * *

_"You want me to what?!" Cried Charlotte._

_"I want you to beat Elias like you're trying to kill him." Restated Thomas._

_"But why?! If what you told me is true, you should be asking me to give him a chance, not beat him to a pulp!"_

_"That's precisely why," Said Thomas, "Elias's inability to fight stems from abuse he received from girls back in his old school. If we stimulate him into a similar scenario, we can get him to overcome his fear by pushing him to fight back."_

_"That will never work!"_

_"This is for his own good."_

_"I don't understand, why?!"_

_"He needs to see that he can fight a girl. Elias needs to get over himself, and actually pull a win under his belt."_

_"Is there another reason you're not telling?"_

_"His family company's going under. They threw him into the fray with their latest prototype, and they didn't seem to bother giving him any actual training in any sort of combat. We need to make sure it works. That way, it'll attract investors and interest for the Dansforth Company. It's a win/win if he pulls it off, not only for his family's future, but for his own."_

_Thomas knew what he was doing._

_But it all depended on Elias._

* * *

_2 Weeks later..._

It was the day the class had been waiting for.

A proper match for Elias's debut.

Charlotte was preparing herself.

Thomas had asked her to scare the daylights out of Elias. As much as she didn't want to hurt the new boy, Thomas had made it very obvious that Elias needed to prove to himself that he could fight.

Elias was having a mental breakdown.

He actually agreed to this?! Why did he let Thomas talk him into doing that?!

There was no way he could win! Charlotte beat him effortlessly last time, what would make this time any different?

That wasn't to say Thomas didn't try.

All throughout those two weeks, Thomas did everything to try and get Elias into fighting shape. He helped Elias practice his aim, self-defense, hand-to-hand, swordplay, confidence, style, and focus.

On the last day, however, Elias was left confused.

Yesterday, instead of training Elias, Thomas had made Elias watch all sorts of fights. Ranging from anime, to boxing, and otherwise.

He never made his point clear.

_"I taught you what I could,"_ Said Thomas, _"I can teach you how to fight like me, and everything else, but it's on you to prove you can."_

Elias did what he could to keep himself from losing it.

He had to do this! His family's company was at stake! If he failed here, the prototype they made would be the butt of everyone's joke! He'd be forced to live the rest of his life cowering under the girls that did him wrong!

His future, as well as his family's, depended on his victory!

Thomas was sitting in the control room, with the other Representative Candidates, Maya, and Chifuyu.

"Dansforth!" Said Maya, "It's time to move onto the field!"

Elias whimpered in agreement, and launched onto the arena field.

Charlotte was waiting for him.

"Don't worry," Said Charlotte, struggling to keep a frightening aura, "I promise I'll leave you with bruises~!"

Elias whimpered, already intimidated.

_"No!"_ Thought Elias, _"I can do this! Thomas gave up his own time and wisdom for me, I have to prove he didn't waste it!"_

Elias did his best to hide his fear, sweat was dripping down his face.

He drew his Thermal Claymore and Barrier Shield.

"Come on then!" He challenged, "I'm right here! Do...Do your worst!"

Thomas suddenly adopted Chifuyu's neutral stance.

He had a judgmental look on his face. His arms were folded, and he stood straight. To everyone else, it felt he'd actually became Chifuyu herself during the entire time he spent training Elias.

Even Chifuyu had a confused look on her face.

The timer counted down.

Elias gulped.

This was either going to be so worth it...

...Or he'd lose everything.

The bell rang, and the fight began.

Charlotte went on the attack, quickly closing the distance between them.

She unleashed a powerful right hook with the Shield Pierce.

This sent Elias right off his feet, as well as causing him to drop his Thermal Claymore.

However, Elias made a quick recovery, quickly turning his crash into a roll, spinning back to his feet.

"Wow!" Admired Ichika, "He didn't stay down this time!"

Thomas said nothing, not even moving.

Elias steadied himself, doing his best to make sure his anxiety didn't overtake him. He quickly picked up the Thermal Claymore, and took up a fighting stance, his Barrier Shield out in front, and his Claymore pointed towards Charlotte.

"I...I won't back down!"

"How precious!" Sneered Charlotte, "Looks like I get to play as much as I want with a _toy_ like you!"

_"A toy..."_

Elias flinched, and froze.

His breathing quickly spun out of control, his blood ran cold, his determined face had twisted to a terrified one, but his body refused to move. It felt as though his entire body had suddenly frozen solid.

Elias was paralyzed with fear.

* * *

"Miss Orimura!" Cried Maya, "Something's wrong, Dansforth is unresponsive!"

"What?!"

"His vitals are out of whack!"

"Suspend the match-?!"

"No. Keep going." Interjected Thomas.

Chifuyu turned to Thomas, looking at him as though he was insane.

"This isn't up for debate, Scott!" Snapped Chifuyu, "Dansforth's liable to be unable to fight with these kinds of conditions!"

"He needs this."

"No he doesn't!"

"He needs to see...to understand..."

Thomas took notice Cecelia had been silent the whole time.

No-one else seem to notice yet, but she'd simply stood there, a somber look on her face. She was ashamed, reliving the time she'd seen Elias at his worst. One would think that she was shaming Elias for indulging such disgusting things.

Thomas knew better.

* * *

Charlotte didn't notice Elias's sudden inability to move.

She tore into him, doing just as Thomas told her to.

However, she was holding back. She didn't want to completely destroy Elias. Not like this.

Instead, she'd just beat him up a little.

She threw punch after punch in a furious combo, doing her best to quickly end the fight.

Elias didn't feel a thing.

He didn't fight back, get up, or even raise his shield to defend himself.

He was far too lost in his own fear to even notice what was happening around him.

_"A toy..."_ His mind repeated, _"A toy..."_

Just like back in England.

Those abhorrent, lecherous, _monstrous_ girls that dared called themselves students at such an academy.

All of those horrible things they did to him...

Touching...Beating...All of the experiences flooded back into Elias's memory.

Elias had fallen into the deepest depths of despair.

There was no way to climb back up from such a place.

* * *

"This is your mess!" Accused Chifuyu, "You need to fix it! Help him!"

"How do you suggest I do that?" Thomas asked calmly.

"Talk to him! Guide him! Do something dammit!"

"He already has what we need to win."

"The hell's that supposed to mean?!" Questioned Lingyin.

"I taught him everything he needs to know and do in order to win." Explained Thomas, "However..."

Thomas remained unfazed, like a statue.

"...It's all up to Elias now."

* * *

The people watching the fight were even more disappointed than before.

The way Elias made hype and built himself up, it implied he was going to put up more of a fight, that he'd actually do something far better to prove he was capable of standing his ground alongside the other two boys.

"Man," Said one girl, "This is just painful to watch."

Another girl began to cheer Elias.

"Come on, Elias!" She called.

Soon, the crowd began to follow her lead, calling out to Elias in the hopes that he'd snap out of his daze, and somehow find a way to counterattack, and turn the tide to his favor.

However, their cries fell on deaf ears.

Elias was reliving every moment of his horrible torture.

His mind brought up all his tormentors' words to the letter.

_"You're a boy-toy! And that's all you'll ever be!"_

_"What's the matter? Inferior in the face of womanly superiority?"_

_"You're nothing! And you'll never be anything more!"_

_"It's quite unfair that good girls were denied the chance to attend this academy because of you, isn't it?"_

_"We're just putting this pig in his place."_

_"He really is a masochist after all!"_

_"Look at him! He actually gets off to this!"_

_"He should! After all, we're being so generous with our attention to him!"_

_"Don't struggle, it'll only make this longer and harder on you~!"_

_"Then again, I suppose I'm glad you attended this academy. After all, using you as my manservant really helps me relieve stress~!"_

_"He's like a pet dog~!"_

_"He's so weak, he couldn't fight back even if he wanted to!"_

Charlotte could tell Elias was scared.

She didn't realize just what she was putting him through, however.

She continued in her brutal onslaught, doing her best not to stop out of her own morality. At most, she'd only went through about 25% of his shield energy. If what Thomas said was correct, she wanted to give Elias enough time to pull himself together.

Thomas told her not to give him a chance.

But she pitied Elias so much, she just couldn't help but to give Elias mercy.

Elias would've thanked her, had he not been lost in himself.

Each blow, every hit he took, it all brought back the wounds they'd inflicted upon him back then. The beatings, the kicks, the slaps, the groping, the punches, the cuts...The girls didn't care about Elias, only that they could abuse him.

They never stopped hurting him. Not when he was at he best, not even when he was at his worst.

He took it. All of it.

It was all he _could_ do.

He was a victim who couldn't get justice. Not back then, for speaking out would only end up getting him in trouble with his abusive superiors. And not now, for exposing it now would mean nothing, because they'd done something irreversible to him.

He couldn't get justice then, and certainly couldn't now.

And now?

The cycle seemed to start right back where it left off.

Charlotte was thrashing him mercilessly, relentlessly. His body wouldn't obey his commands, it would only move after he received another blow from Charlotte. He wasn't even trying to move anyway, he was too far lost to even think about the outside world.

He was a good student.

He'd gotten good grades, participated in class, and seemed like the model student.

The delinquents took notice of this, and grew quite jealous. It wasn't that they were bullying him without reason. They showed interest in him, because he was so much better than them, and they hated it.

So they decided to make Elias worse than them.

The first time they started getting physical, they'd used a taser to keep him from struggling, tied him to a bed-frame, and groped all over his body, lingering between his legs to make sure they had leverage over him.

If he tried to tell on them, they'd expose him as a masochist sex-addict.

They made that_ very_ clear.

At first, Elias did struggle against them. However, his body seemingly ceased doing so as time went on. Behind his back, the delinquents secretly spread word about Elias, attracting much more unwanted attention.

Elias learned just how many girls were waiting for the chance to abuse him.

Each and every day, in between classes, more and more girls took Elias to any room they could and had their way with him. The abused him verbally, physically, sexually, and Elias was too scared, and too powerless to do anything to make it stop.

It was around the time he'd finally accepted his fate.

That fateful day Cecelia saw him.

He was exposed, his horrible secret now laid bare for her to condemn.

Cecelia, for the longest time, was the reason Elias hadn't taken his own life out of misery. Ever since the play, he'd become smitten with her beauty, trying day after day to get the lady to notice Elias as a suitor.

She kept rejecting him, embarrassed of confused.

She never laughed at him, or mocked him, or did anything else to him.

Perhaps that's why Elias was so enthralled by her.

She didn't hurt him.

She'd even carried him like a princess during the play. Sure, such a time was embarrassing to Cecelia. However, it was heart-racing and romantic to Elias.

Ever since then, he wanted to pursue it.

Girls all had their reasons for hurting Elias. Some did it to feel better about themselves, others did it out of jealousy for his good academics, some just wanted to satisfy their lecherous desires, some did it in the name of womankind.

But everyone just wanted to see that the model student wasn't as perfect as he seemed.

There weren't many other boys. At least, none of them that were willing to help.

There was no way out.

But then...Thomas came out of nowhere.

Thomas...

* * *

...Seemingly wasn't going to step in.

He simply continued to imitate Chifuyu as everyone argued with him.

Under any other circumstances, Thomas would've done more.

He would've been there, guiding and teaching Elias even as he fought. Normally, He'd be much more caring, and do everything he could to make sure he'd give Elias the right directions.

But He didn't.

Not this time.

Cecelia twitched.

Why?! Why would Thomas promise her to help Elias, and abandon the poor boy in the moment he needed him most?! It just made no sense?! She'd stalked the boys as they trained. Thomas trained him well...

...So why was he doing this now?

She couldn't bear being silent anymore.

She raced to the monitor Maya was sitting at.

"Elias!" She cried, "Pull yourself together, please! You're not weak, so show everyone how strong you are!"

She was on the verge of crying.

Did Elias even hear her?

* * *

Thomas had given up everything, sacrificed all the time he could've had to himself just to make sure Elias could stand on his own. He wasted all of his own time...

...Thomas was the _man_ who gave Elias everything.

Could Elias be a man as well?

All of that footage of fights Thomas showed him. Some of it was of Ichika, some of it was Thomas, even of other fights that Elias never saw before.

Wait...

_"Elias!"_

Elias finally understood why Thomas showed him all those fights!

_"Pull yourself together!"_

They were of fighters doing some sort of sudden counter that would turn the fight! Just like Atom vs Zeus, or All Might vs All For One! It all made sense now! Elias had seen Ichika and Thomas themselves in such situations.

Like that time with Miss Yamada...

Thomas and Ichika were on the ropes, just like how Elias was now. Just like how Thomas was against Miss Yamada. Except, when the other two boys had their backs to the wall, they didn't just cower down in fear...

_"Show everyone how strong you are!"_

...They pushed back off the wall.

Even after everything Elias told him, after everything-the screw-ups, the mistakes, the piss-poor performances in combat-Thomas never gave up on him.

He couldn't give up on himself either.

Charlotte was now giving sweeping punches, trying to get Elias off his feet.

She made a fatal mistake.

She delivered a right hook, and left her left guard down.

That was Elias's ticket.

Without warning, Elias finally returned with a devastating right hook!

Charlotte stumbled back, absolutely dazed and stunned by Elias's sudden change from powerless to powerful.

Thomas smirked, and the Representative Candidates cheered.

The crowd went into uproar.

"_That's how it's done!_" Shouted Thomas.

"Thomas?!" Yelped Elias, "Where have you been, old chap?"

"_Waiting for you._" Answered Thomas, "_Now, I'll guide you the rest of the way!_"

Elias smirked.

He understood why only now Thomas chose to help him. Thomas wasn't speaking the whole time because he was waiting for Elias to finally pull himself together. He was a little angry, but otherwise thankful for Thomas's friendship.

"Then let's do it, together!"

Elias raised his fists into a boxing stance.

Charlotte finally recovered from Elias's uppercut.

"_Advance!_"

Elias marched right over to Charlotte.

"_Lean back, Right Jab!_"

Charlotte swung, but Elias leaned back to avoid her blow. Elias regained his balance as he delivered a powerful jab to Charlotte, further pushing her back.

"_Now, pull back and concentrate your fire!_"

Elias jumped back, quickly pulling into flight. He deployed his rifle, setting it to Automatic, and opened fire upon Charlotte.

Charlotte quickly evaded, and decided to step up a notch.

She pulled out her PDWs, and returned fire.

However, Thomas had trained Elias for such.

"Give 'er the Glass Wall!"

Suddenly, Elias deployed all of his Optical Drones, and quickly switched them to Shield Mode. He quickly set them all in front of himself, creating a wall the size of his IS Unit, shielding him completely.

"Wha?! That takes such skill!"

"Ha ha!" Cheered Elias, "After Thomas taught me basic combat, he also taught me to do things with style!"

He pushed out his hand, and quickly retaliated.

The "wall" of Drones suddenly lunged for Charlotte.

Without warning, the drones split apart.

Charlotte jumped away, only to find herself surrounded by the Drones.

She was pelted from all sides.

Elias let up, allowing Charlotte some breathing room.

However, her respite with short-lived.

Elias flew right for her, his Thermal Claymore and Barrier Shield in-hand.

He threw his Claymore like a spear at Charlotte. Charlotte narrowly evaded, the Claymore sinking into the ground beside her. However, Elias quickly landed, and with a quick spin, he pulled his Claymore out of the ground, and delivered a powerful slash to Charlotte's body.

"Have at thee, knave!" He jeered.

The crowd cheered with joy.

All was right with the world! All three boys finally proved they could hold their ground, and stand toe-to-toe with the girls of the IS Academy!

Charlotte saw no more reason to scare Elias.

Now she could fight a _real_ IS Match.

* * *

Chifuyu stopped berating Thomas, and finally understood him.

"I see now..." She said.

The Representative Candidates were absolutely flabbergasted.

"Now that I look at it..." Said Ichika, "His fighting style's a lot similar to yours, Thomas."

"I taught him for two weeks," Explained Thomas, "But that stuff with the Drones? That was all him."

* * *

Charlotte brought out her Combat Knife and Barrier Shield.

The two of them traded blows.

However, Charlotte quickly found herself overwhelmed.

"Is that your best?!" Shot Elias, "Sir Thomas was far quicker and _easily_ more deadly with a knife than you are right now!"

Charlotte was dumbstruck.

Just what did Thomas _do_ during training Elias?

Elias brought Charlotte back to reality by delivering a standing kick to her face, and igniting his leg's thruster.

Charlotte fell to the floor painfully.

"I said so once before, and I'll do so again!" Elias declared, "I'm not afraid! And I won't hold back!"

"_Now, give her the one-two!_"

Elias fired a Left Hook, and a Right Uppercut.

"_Alright!_" Said Thomas, "_Three-Box Combo to the body! Left-Right-Left!_"

Elias shot a Left Jab to Charlotte's side, a Right Jab to her other side, and finally another Left Jab to her belly.

"_Here's a big one! Shield Pierce Uppercut!_"

Elias shifted his Barrier Shield to Shield Pierce, and struck Charlotte directly on the chin.

"_Time for the Finisher!_" Said Thomas, "_Shield Pierce Groundpound!_"

Elias launched into the air, slowing rolling upside down as he reached the dome.

His feet hit the dome, and he curled up into a ball on the surface.

In the blink of an eye, Elias launched off the dome almost too fast for the eye to see!

He was gunning his Unit at top speed, flying right for Charlotte!

Charlotte realized too late what Elias was about to do.

With a devastating Haymaker, Elias struck Charlotte with the Shield Pierce as he hit the ground.

Charlotte's Shield dropped to 0%, and Elias's dropped to 5%.

"The winner is Dansforth!" Declared Chifuyu.

The audience went wild with awe and joy.

Elias paused.

He looked around.

They were all cheering for _him_.

With a wave and a smile, Elias looked to the crowd...

...Knowing deep in his heart, his family and friends were proud.

* * *

_Later that day..._

"So, You knew about Elias's past?" Asked Ichika.

Thomas was sitting at the desk in their dorm room, Ichika was sitting on his bed. After the fight, Elias told all of the Representative Candidates, Chifuyu, and Maya about his past. Both Chifuyu and Maya were uncharacteristically motherly towards Elias afterward as they consoled him.

"Yes. That's why I planned this entire fight, from beginning to end. And judging from the look on your face..."

Thomas turned to look Ichika in the eye.

"...So did you."

"Yeah...I listened in while Elias was...Opening up to you."

"You could've come in. It'd been nice to have you there."

"It just seemed like a...moment, y'know? One of those one-on-one moments?"

"I see your reasoning, just not the justification."

Thomas turned back to the desk.

"What would you have done if Elias lost?" Asked Ichika.

Thomas paused.

"I find it best not to question what could've happened," He answered hesitantly, "But rather, what to do now."

"I get it now..."

"It would seem that Elias's confidence around girls has improved after that fight."

"Yeah," Observed Ichika, "But that was your plan all along, yeah?"

"Correct."

"You're even more calculative than I gave you credit for."

"One of us has to be."

* * *

_That night..._

Cecelia was reflecting upon herself in her room.

She heard a knock on the door.

She got up, and opened the door...

...Only to find Elias standing before her.

"L-Lady Cecelia..." He stuttered, "Can we talk?"

Elias closed the door as he entered.

"I'm sorry!" Cried Cecelia.

"For what, milady?"

"I...I didn't help you when you needed me all that time ago...I should've done something! Anything! I should've saved you from those horrible girls, but...I couldn't! I was too afraid! I ran...And I left you..."

"Think nothing of it."

"Hm?!"

"Think nothing of it!" Encouraged Elias, "I'm sure you had your reasons for leaving me that day, and I don't hold any malice to you. But know that I never forgot about my desire for you..."

Elias placed his hands on Cecelia's shoulders.

"Even if you never care...I..."

Elias struggled to get the words out of his mouth. His heart raced, he was beginning to sweat, and his face flushed red. He did the only thing he could think that would work. He brought the two of them closer together.

He pulled in Cecelia, and gave her a light kiss on the forehead.

They both gasped, and back away from each other with scarlet faces.

"I...I didn't mean to...I'm sorry!" Cried Elias in dismay.

Elias ran right out of the room, leaving Cecelia to her lonesome.

Cecelia had never felt this way before.

Her palms were sweaty, her heart was beating out of her chest, her breathing was all over the place, she couldn't think straight. She was in a daze, a haze created by Elias's unnaturally bold action.

Could she...really fall in love with Elias?

Not that she wouldn't mind...

* * *

**A/N: All done! Sorry for the wait, but school's started back up, so I won't be able to write as much anymore.**

**I'm so sorry, but I'll keep writing as much as I can whenever I can!**

**But right now, I never thought I could actually start this ship. While I was tinkering with Elias's character, I jokingly decided to ship him with Cecelia. Eventually, that joke became something that I felt I could work.**

**Here's to hoping I do this right!**

**I hope you all like this ship, let me know your thoughts in a review or PM me!**

**Next time: Thomas's Reckoning.**

**When Kana keeps appearing out of the blue, Thomas becomes suspicious! By his own accord, Thomas quickly begins an investigation in the hopes of uncovering the truth!**

**But for some reason, Chifuyu keeps trying to stop him at every turn.**

**Phantom Task seems to notice, and offers him answers.**

**Will Thomas find the the truth? And what will happen if he does?**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	18. Thomas's Reckoning

**Ah yes, another chapter that brings up the big ol' mystery.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**When Kana keeps appearing out of nowhere, Thomas becomes suspicious of her! He decides to begin a one-man investigation in the hopes of getting to the bottom of things, but only one thing stands in his way.**

**Everything.**

**Chifuyu's hot on Thomas's heels, trying to stop Thomas from trying to find the truth. Alex keeps trying to prevent his son from leaving the island. The Representative Candidates are all trying to distract Thomas. Ichika's seemingly the only one trying to help Thomas figure out just what really is going on around them.**

**And even worse, Phantom Task seems to take notice of Thomas's efforts. Autumn and M resurface once again, subtly working behind the shadows to draw Thomas out of the safety of the IS Academy.**

**Even stranger, Phantom Task offers to answer all of Thomas's questions.**

**Will Thomas be able to find where his loyalties lie?**

* * *

_Saturday evening..._

Ichika knew something was wrong the moment Thomas returned to the dorm room.

He didn't say anything, his face was somber, he was deep in thought, and he had the correct hint of suspicion about about him that implied he was currently wary of everything and everyone.

All-in-all, It seemed totally normal.

Thomas sat down at the desk, and let out a very long sigh.

"What happened to you?" Inquired Ichika.

"Remember Kana, from the Summer Festival?"

"Yeah? What about her?" Ichika made a grin, "Lemme guess, you two met again, and she wants a date?"

"Exactly!" Snapped Thomas.

Ichika was dumbstruck.

"Really?!"

"And that's why I'm acting this way."

"You...don't like her?"

"No..." Said Thomas, "It's just..."

"What?"

"This is the second time we've met by 'coincidence.'"

"You make it sound like it's not."

"Normally, I would've just played it off as small world, but...She keeps going on about the chances of us meeting."

"So?"

"I want to think it's totally normal, but...Her continued repetition compels me to think otherwise. I could accurately recall 5 times she said it was by pure chance we met up again...And..."

"And what?"

"It's also pretty telling that Kana's the one who found me. We first met when me, Charlotte, and Laura were on the train to the mainland. Ever since any trip ever since, I haven't Kana whatsoever, or Kana appears from behind."

"So...She's stalking you?"

"I hope that's the size of it."

"Sheesh...First abduction attempt, now this. Maybe you've just got the cute face that attracts kleptomaniacs."

"Yeah...Let's hope that's _just_ what this is."

Thomas sat down at the desk, scribbling designs and brooding.

He only prayed he was wrong.

But there was only one way to know.

* * *

_Next Saturday evening..._

"It's official," Stated Thomas, "Kana's stalking me."

"What happened this time?" Pried Ichika.

"I played a hunch," Recalled Thomas, "This time, I just stood in the middle of the mall. And, just like every other time, Kana tapped my shoulder from behind, and yet again brought up the odds."

"Just like-" Started Ichika.

"-The last two times." Finished Thomas.

"So, what now? Call the cops?"

"No."

"Why...?"

"Because I want to know something before I write Kana off. Although..."

"What?"

"...We can't get the others involved. This goes no further than you and me."

"Why?!"

"This gets to the girls and shit'll hit the fan hard enough to break it. And...I don't think I trust Chifuyu right now..."

"How can you say that?!" Ichika was shocked.

"Remember when we first met back up here? Chifuyu and dad lied about why we were separated."

"So?! What's that got to do with this?!"

"Think about it." Suggested Thomas, "What else could Chifuyu and dad not be telling us?"

"You've got issues man," Concluded Ichika, "But I'm with you on this, I guess."

"Good to know."

"So, what're you thinking? Normal or dangerous?"

"Don't know yet. I don't have anything that links Kana to anything other than that 'mommy issues' business. And even that's a little dubious as of right now..."

"But there's no way she'd talk, so how're we gonna get info?"

"We'll figure that out by next weekend, we got homework and everything right now."

"Oh yeah. That paper..."

"Exactly."

The boys quickly abandoned their investigation for the sake of schoolwork. Chifuyu would have their heads if they missed assignments, and it was a weekend she decided to leave them extra work.

* * *

Over the week, the boys brainstormed ways they'd confront Kana.

Currently, Thomas was losing to a quick match against Nana.

"Quit getting distracted!" Nana whined like a child.

"Then get my attention!" He returned.

Nana opened fire upon Thomas, as he quickly skated around the arena.

"Something wrong," Said Chifuyu, "Scott's distracted."

"How can you tell?"

"I spent a good chunk of his life raising the kid, I know when something is _very_ wrong."

"Oh...What do you think is distracting him?"

"Who knows? Could be anything going on in that idiot's head."

Thomas was trying to multitask by fighting Nana and thinking at the same time. He should've remembered that multitasking was very impossible, even for him. He was brought back to reality when he crashed headfirst into the wall.

Nana laughed.

Thomas gave up thinking.

He was _so_ going to beat the crap out of Nana.

Thomas suddenly went on the attack, even more furiously than before.

Moving quickly, he closed the gap between them, and unleashed a fluid melee combo. Nana quickly found herself overwhelmed, not being as experienced as Thomas piloting an IS Unit.

Thomas was also being unfair.

He was utilizing his Unit's thrusters to add extra oomph to his blows. He was unleashing devastating kicks, with a few punches thrown into the mix to keep Nana guessing. The girl simply couldn't keep up, despite her Unit's heavyweight features.

Nana threw a right hook, only to have Thomas counter back shoving it with both of his wrists and returning to thrashing Nana as though she'd done nothing.

Nana pulled back, trying to take Thomas with ranged attacks.

However, it seemed that Thomas was expecting such.

Nana opened up with her Barrage Cannons, trying to keep Thomas back with a blitz. However, Thomas beat her to the punch as he fired missiles at her, quickly disorienting her, and leaving her helpless.

Thomas rushed through the smoke of the missile explosions, and rammed Nana head-on.

Nana fell to the ground, and the match was over.

"Aw..."

"Well," Consoled Thomas, "You tried."

"No fair!"

"You have the bigger rig, let's call it even."

"Hmph!" Pouted Nana.

_Later that night..._

Thomas was taking a midnight stroll, further exploring theories on Kana.

No-one else was around.

At least, no-one else _should've_ been.

He heard rustling in the bushes not too far ahead.

He'd been on edge ever since he and Ichika started. Normally, he'd play it off as another student, trying to ogle at him. However, this wasn't a time he felt safe in doing so, seeing as many dangerous people made their way onto the Academy grounds before.

He deployed the Primary Shift's left arm, PDW in hand.

Moving quietly, he crept towards the bushes...

...Suddenly exposing them, but finding nothing.

_"25 chance to the left, 25 chance to the right, 50 to the back."_ He thought.

He spun around without warning, the barrel of his PDW almost touching his stalker's head.

The stalker was none other than...

...Chifuyu?!

Chifuyu seemed unfazed. Currently, she wore a cloak around her that stretched down to her thighs, her legs were covered with leather boots that stretched up to her hips, like chaps.

Thomas lowered his weapon, and recalled the arm.

"Scared the nightlights outta me, Miss Orimura."

"Oh? Sorry about that. What's your reason for a walk in the park, then?"

"Just...Thinking. About a lot of things really...It's all so muddy."

Thomas turned his back.

"Anyway, I gotta ask you a question..." He continued.

"Do tell." Said the woman, raising her fist behind Thomas.

She swung down, attempting to strike him in the pressure point and knock him out...

...Only to have Thomas catch her by her wrist without skipping a beat.

"...Did 'Squall' put you up to it, M?"

"What the-?!" M yelped in surprise.

Thomas suddenly spun around, his fist mere inches from M's head. Thomas suddenly deployed his Revive's arm, shooting M right off her feet!

The Quantum Conversion of an IS Unit only repelled objects as the Unit was deployed. Being able to time such deployment correctly would allow a pilot to add extra oomph to their attacks outside of the IS Unit.

"Oh come on!" Sneered Thomas, "Any idiot worth their salt would know Chifuyu never apologizes for hitting anyone on campus!"

"Damn you...But how'd you know it was me?!"

"The vocal mannerisms, the legs, and-most telling-the lips and jaw line. Y'see, you may look like her, but you certainly sound a lot different."

"Dammit..."

"So answer me already!" Ordered Thomas, "Who's Squall? Why exactly is she after me?!"

M smirked.

Thomas tipped his hand too far.

He flinched.

"You really don't know, do you?" She chuckled, "I thought you'd have figured out how we're keeping tabs on you...I'm amazed you actually managed to give me a hard time when we met. You honestly look even cuter when you off your game~! I guess I can see now why the others like you~!"

"Sorry," Smirked Thomas, "But tell Squall I only see her as a friend."

M would've asked, but Thomas was already on the attack.

He deployed a PDW, and fired away at M's feet.

M leapt away, only to quickly lose sight of Thomas.

"Crap...He must've learned how to do the Rapid Switch already..."

She deployed Optical Drones to search for Thomas.

M blinked...

...Only to realize Thomas was standing directly behind her.

She quickly tried to catch him in a crossfire attack with her drones, but found that Thomas quickly evaded.

Each time she saw him evading, M learned just a bit more about Thomas.

It almost seemed as though his body itself was moving on its own, without command from his waking mind. It was strange, since no natural human being should be able to do two things that require focus at once.

As things were now, Thomas would most likely subdue her.

Squall would get mad for finding out M had snuck out to go and strike out on her own, but that was something M could live with. However, when M thought more about it, she felt a very unpleasant chill in her spine at the thought of Squall being disappointed in her.

She'd have to pull back and try another time to snatch Thomas.

M grit her teeth in anger.

"_Knew_ I should've gone after Ichika first..." She muttered under her breath.

She pulled in her Drones to fire one big blast at Thomas.

Thomas jumped back to evade.

M quickly fully-deployed the Silent Zephyrs and flew away while Thomas wasn't looking.

Thomas saw her flying into the night sky, but chose not to pursue.

He'd make too big of a ruckus trying to get answers. The last thing he needed was to make a scene, and lose any hope of trying to get answers. Chifuyu would catch onto his little project,

Thomas simply marched right back to the dorms.

Just before he went inside, he turned around to watch as M vanished into the nightly horizon.

As he walked down the hallway, he wiped the sweat from his face.

"Something you want to talk about, Scott? You're drenched in your own sweat."

Thomas turned around to find Chifuyu standing behind him.

She was in a formal, business attire. She had an aura that screamed blood-lust, the look in her eyes was cruel, judgmental and uncaring, the expression on her face implied that she would take ultimate pleasure more than to watch Thomas writhe in pure agony.

No doubt about it, it was definitely Chifuyu.

"I...was jogging."

"Then why pause?"

"I've had a lot on my mind for a while now, Ma'am."

"I see...Would it happen to have anything to do with something I should be concerned about?"

Thomas looked away, and remained silent.

Chifuyu closed her eyes and sighed.

She was going to regret doing this, but Thomas needed to know that she cared.

"Look, I know I scare you and all...But you're like a little brother alongside Ichika to me. And...I know something is wrong, especially after that abduction attempt. So, I just want you to know..."

She rested her hand on his shoulder.

"...You can be honest and trust me, really."

Thomas's brow furrowed.

"Why does everyone keep thinking that I'm still recovering from the Cinderella thing?" He complained.

Chifuyu flinched.

"I mean, seriously!" He ranted, "I'm past that! It was just a pair of oddballs not taking a hint that I'm not for sale, right? It doesn't mean anything to me. Seriously, it's over, and whoever those people were are most likely never going to show their mugs again!"

Chifuyu was stunned.

Normally, Thomas would've assaulted her with questions. However, unlike before, it seemed as though Thomas couldn't be bothered to care, let alone reflect upon Phantom Task's attempt to kidnap him.

Did he really not know about Phantom Task?

Although Chifuyu would jump for joy knowing Thomas was oblivious, it was very concerning that Thomas didn't already know. Ichika was informed by Tatenashi about Phantom Task, but Chifuyu also instructed her to tell Thomas as well.

She was hesitant to do so, since she admitted this would only fuel Thomas's curiosity.

However...

Chifuyu caught on.

Thomas was lying to her, obviously.

Thomas obviously knew there was more going on behind his back than he would ever admit. Something happened to him before he came inside. However, it was easily clear that Thomas wasn't ready to talk yet.

She'd sort him out in time.

"Well, when you're ready to open up, come see me privately, and we can talk."

She moved on.

Thomas went to his room.

He said nothing to Ichika, and simply went to sleep.

At least, he tried to.

His head was too deep in thought to drift off.

* * *

_Saturday..._

Thomas and Ichika left for the mainland.

They'd worked out their plan.

Thomas would confront Kana, and Ichika would be watching them incognito.

Ichika was currently watching Thomas from a parlor table. He wore a dark green hoodie, running shoes, and black cargo pants. He looked inconspicuous enough. He followed Thomas's crash-course on how to blend with the public.

However, it seemed that someone already figured them out.

"What a coincidence." Said Chifuyu.

"Hm? Oh, Chifuyu! What're you doing here?!" Ichika asked, trying to remain calm.

"I could ask you and Thomas the same thing." She returned.

"Um...Well..."

"Could I talk with you in private?"

"But-!"

"This is urgent."

Ichika flinched when he saw a nervous and pleading look on Chifuyu's face.

"Please, Ichika."

Ichika was taken aback. Chifuyu would never have such a look on her. She begging Ichika to follow her in all but name. Although something seemed off. Not just with this whole setup, but with Chifuyu as well.

He just couldn't figure out what, however.

"O-Okay then..." Ichika said, looking at Thomas as he got up and left.

Chifuyu smiled.

There was a sinister glint in her eyes, but Ichika didn't notice.

Chifuyu guided Ichika behind the parlor, to an alleyway.

Ichika looked behind to make sure they were in private.

"Okay, so why'd-?!"

Without warning, "Chifuyu" decked Ichika on the pressure point with a mighty pistol whip, knocking him out cold instantly.

"And for the record? The name's Madoka." M whispered to Ichika's unconscious body.

* * *

It'd been a few minutes, Thomas was getting suspicious.

Did Kana know what he was trying to do?

Thomas looked around for Ichika. However, Ichika was nowhere in sight. That was a seriously alarming problem. Thomas could spot any one individual from quite far. He also stayed within such a proximity that Ichika and Thomas could spot each other.

No doubt, Kana-or worse-someone else knew about their plan.

His worst fears were confirmed in moments.

A woman rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Kana?"

Thomas looked behind him...

...Only to find Autumn with a sultry look on her face.

"So," She cooed, "What's my favorite baby boy up to these days?"

"Mind telling me what happened to Ichika?

"The Orimura brat? Don't worry, M's taking good care of him. No harm will come to him as long as you stay calm."

Thomas remained silent.

This had just turned into a very dangerous situation.

"And just to let you know," Cautioned Autumn, "Phantom Task already fixed up the Arachnae, so not only will your brat-friend die, but I could kill everyone in this mall just to make sure."

Thomas was beginning to sweat a little.

"You were standing up for a while, we should go get you somewhere to sit~!"

Autumn ushered Thomas to a nearby bench, and they sat side-by-side. She'd firmly pressed Thomas to sit down at the bench, keeping her hand on his shoulder as a means of insurance.

"I'm being rude by teasing you," Apologized Autumn, "I'm sure everything's so messy in that cute, big brain of yours."

"I guess..."

"Remember before? When I was trying to get you out of the IS Academy?"

"Mhm..."

"I wasn't lying about what I said. If you come with us, then We'll do everything we can to make sure all you questions are answered."

"How about an introductory package then?"

"Oh...I see you're showing a lot more interest than last time~!"

Thomas faced away from Autumn in shame.

Autumn took notice.

"So...How's the family-Oh...Sorry." Her voice dropped, to oddly non-patronizing tone.

Thomas was not only facing away from Autumn out of shame, but to make sure nobody took interest in the pair as they talked.

The last thing he needed was outside interference.

"I'm going to just tell you now," Admitted Autumn, "Kana's my adopted daughter."

The news struck like a bomb.

Kana was Autumn's daughter? It'd explain the girl's habit of somehow always being able to locate Thomas anywhere, anytime.

It also stood to reason that Thomas meeting Kana on the train in the summer wasn't a coincidence. Did she really have a sibling in the IS Academy? Or was that just a lie Kana made to have an excuse for meeting Thomas?

"Does...Kana have a sibling in the IS Academy?" Thomas asked.

"Actually, yes. She does. I can't say who, but the answer isn't going to be easy for you..."

"What does Squall want with me?"

"You hold a special place in her heart. She wants to bring you into the family."

"But _why_?"

"I can't just give away everything for free, can I? If you want to know that, you'll come with me. But don't worry, when you do-"

"-_If_ I do."

"It's a matter of _when_." Corrected Autumn, "One way or another, you will be ours."

Thomas spotted something.

It was Houki.

And she was headed right for them.

"Hey, Thomas!" She called, "I heard you and Ichika were hanging out and wanted to-huh? Who's that?"

Houki noticed Autumn.

Thomas just remembered: Houki never actually saw Autumn, and Thomas didn't tell her about Reiko Makigami either.

"Is she a friend?" Hesitantly asked Houki.

Houki was in street clothes. She'd gotten word that Thomas and Ichika went to the mainland that day to unwind and have a guys' day out. Naturally, since none of the other girls had found out yet, she wanted to get some time in with Ichika. Sure, such an act would violate the sanctity of a guy-group activity, but she knew that both of the boys wouldn't mind.

At least, she thought so.

So far, Ichika was nowhere to be seen, and Thomas was profusely sweating as he sat next to an older woman.

"Yeah...She's...A friend." Thomas said hesitantly.

"Oh! You have another friend? How cute." Autumn said as she locked eyes with Houki.

"Let him go. Now." Houki ordered calmly, ready to deploy the Akatsubaki at the drop of a dime.

"Is something the matter? I'm just trying to talk with Tommy here."

"I said-"

"It's fine!" Thomas interjected.

Houki flinched, and looked at Thomas with a confused face.

"There's no problem here, Houki. I'm just...spending time with my _stepmother_...Yeah! And...I really don't want anyone to get in the way of me and my stepmother trying to have some quality bonding time."

Houki knew that Thomas was making a terrible lie.

But she also knew that this was most likely a very fragile situation.

She'd just have to trust him.

"Well, I shouldn't keep you anymore." Said Autumn, "After all, you've got a lot on your plate right now."

Autumn stood up, and walked off.

"Have a good time, sweetie~!"

As soon as Thomas lost sight of Autumn, he exhaled.

"Where's Ichika?" Questioned Houki.

Thomas checked the GPS App on his phone.

"He's over there." Thomas answered, pointing to the alleyway behind the parlor.

"C'mon, we get Ichika, and then you two tell me _exactly_ what happened."

* * *

Mall Security came on the scene at Houki's request. Chifuyu and several Instructors from the IS Academy quickly arrived on the scene the moment Houki and Ichika mentioned the three of them were IS Academy students.

Everyone showered Thomas with compliments and consolations for the whole ordeal. They praised him for keeping calm and doing everything he could to keep the situation from escalating, and tried to comfort him for being put through such danger.

They'd reported the incident to the police, but Autumn and M had vanished without so much as a trace.

Thomas withheld information.

Not that anyone could figure that out.

He only told them about how M held Ichika as insurance to make Thomas comply with Autumn.

He didn't tell anyone of Phantom Task's supposed connection to the IS Academy. He also didn't tell them anything about the conversation he had with Autumn.

It was personal. And Thomas wanted to keep it that way.

The moment the group returned to the Academy, Chifuyu bopped Ichika and Thomas on the head extra harder than normal.

"What the hell were you thinking you two?!" She snapped, "If it wasn't for Shinonono's intervention, that little spat could've ended any number of ways, including the both of you getting killed!"

Thomas would've objected, but held his tongue once again.

Chifuyu knew very well something was going on when the boys told her their plan for the day.

"Orimura, Shinonono, you're dismissed." Said Chifuyu, "Scott, I want to talk to you in private."

The two went back to join the other students, Chifuyu ushered Thomas into another room.

"What's this about, Thomas?" Said Chifuyu, "I don't know for sure, but I feel like you had something to do this whole situation."

"Not all of it. I have this stalker, and she..."

Should he come clean and tell her everything? Perhaps.

_Would_ he come clean and tell her everything?

No.

Not yet.

"I was trying to lure her out, so me and Ichika could have evidence, but I didn't know that Autumn-person was going to show up."

"I see...Do you have the stalker's name?"

"Her name's Naka."

Thomas purposely scrambled her name.

"So, your verdict?"

"Naka's just a run-of-the-mill stalker. She's irrelevant."

"Alright then."

Chifuyu sighed.

"Promise me you'll never pull a stunt like this again. You could've gotten hurt. What would your father think?"

What _would_ his dad think? It wasn't clear whether Thomas's mom was dead or alive, so what would _she_ think?

Chifuyu's lack of referencing her mother was in itself a big, stinking trigger for Thomas. It was infuriating to the boy. Sure, dad and Chifuyu's consolation about his mother was one thing, but whitewashing her from his life entirely just sent him over the edge.

"Yeah?" Thomas snarled, "What would my mother think? You're the expert, so tell me?"

"Excuse me?"

"I've been doing everything I can to be patient until you and dad tell me about mom, but I can't take it any longer! You've both been hiding secrets that I need to know and it's getting me pissed off!"

"We can't-"

"You can't? Or won't? Phantom Task's out to recruit me, and I don't know why! On top of that, it really doesn't seem like I have a much better arrangement here! You're lying to me, dad's lying to me, I can't trust a thing either of you say anymore!"

"How could you say that?!"

"What? Gonna tell my mom? Go ahead! See if I care! It's not like she's gonna care, she hasn't taken an interest in me _before_, so what's it matter _now_? Besides, you're not my real big sister, so what're you getting your panties in a bunch about?!"

Chifuyu was taken aback.

She grit her teeth, clenched her fists, and turned away in anger.

Thomas's expression softened.

He went too far.

_Way_ too far.

"Chifuyu, I-"

"Leave." Snapped Chifuyu.

"But-"

**"LEAVE!"** She roared.

Thomas wasted no time in exiting, and leaving Chifuyu to her own devices.

As soon as she couldn't hear Thomas's footsteps anymore, her expression mellowed from anger to woe.

Tears began to swell.

_"This was bound to happen eventually,"_ She thought to herself, _"He's right, we should've told him something..."_

"Just how much longer can we keep Thomas?" She muttered, "We can't just tell him now, not in a position like this."

The awful question lingered in Chifuyu's mind.

It was only a matter of time before Thomas took things into his own hands.

Only a matter of time before Thomas decided to leave.

Did she really have the right to force him to stay in the IS Academy?

* * *

"Everything alright, Good Thomas?" Inquired Elias.

The boys returned in time for dinner, and met up with everyone else.

"Hm? Oh, yeah..."

"Alright," Lingyin butted in, "What happened this time?"

"Chi-Miss Orimura and I had...a bit of a falling out."

"What happened?!" Cried Ichika.

"I'd...I'd rather not talk about it."

"Oh..."

Thomas got up, and began to leave.

"I need some time to myself."

_Some time later..._

Ichika began to head back to his room.

With any luck, Thomas was there.

If not, then he'd never be found.

He was walking from the cafeteria to the dorm building, it was nighttime, and he was treading a stretch of a walkway where anything could happen.

And happen, something did.

Ichika heard the clacking of boots behind him.

He whipped around, already on edge from earlier today.

"Who's there? Show yourself!"

M stepped out into the light of the lampposts lining the walkway.

"Chi...Chifuyu?!"

"Remember me? From the mall?"

"Wait..."

Ichika was connecting dots just as quickly as Thomas did about this woman.

"You're the Silent Zephyrs pilot, right?"

M seemed disappointed.

"Is that just the world's worst kept secret or something? Scott I can get, but how'd you figure it out?" She muttered.

"It's in your voice!" Admitted Ichika, "You have a more blank and sinister tone than Chifuyu does!"

She locked eyes with Ichika.

"So, what's your real name?" He demanded.

"My name? Oh yeah, I clocked you before that. My name is..."

Her next words sent a chill down Ichika's spine.

"...Madoka Orimura."

"Huh?! Chifuyu never told me about another sibling-"

"I wonder why." Madoka retorted, "But, for my own identity..."

Madoka pulled a gun from under her clothes.

"...I'll take your life."

Ichika didn't realize the full weight of "Madoka's" actions.

She made a sinister smile as she pulled the gun's hammer back.

Madoka pulled the trigger, and fired.

**To be continued!**

* * *

**A/N: I really didn't know just what kind of note I wanted to end things on, so I decided to end the chapter by tying back into the canon anime storyline. I hope that works!**

**Since I have to deal with school, updates will come a lot slower than they did in the summer. ****Not that the summer updates were any fast themselves. But not to worry, it'll be a long time before I abandon this story!**

**At last, I've revealed more about Kana's backstory! However, it was also revealed this chapter Phantom Task has a connection in the IS Academy! Who could it possibly be? And why?**

**But how will everything turn out in the end? Not even I have a clue!**

**Next time: Back to Basics.**

**With Thomas and Chifuyu's falling out, chaos ensues!**

**Charlotte, Ichika, and Thomas take on a nighttime guard duty to protect IS Shipments. However, their job goes awry, and Thomas and Ichika are left unable to deploy their Units!**

**With serious trouble already about, Thomas must find a way to keep the problem from getting worse, and patch things up with Chifuyu.**

**But it's quite obvious to the boy that doing such a task is easier said than done...**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	19. Back to Basics

**Some real drama happened last chapter, who knows what's in store this time?**

**Apart from me, that is.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**With Thomas and Chifuyu's falling out, chaos ensues!**

**To put some distance between them, Thomas joins Ichika and Charlotte on a nighttime job guarding IS Shipments! However, their job goes awry in a random encounter with two unregistered IS Pilots! The incident leaves Thomas and Ichika unable to deploy their Units!**

**Already being a dangerous position, Thomas must find a way to patch things up with Chifuyu, and keep the situation from getting worse!**

**But doing such a task is far easier said than done...**

* * *

"...I'll take your life."

Madoka pulled back the gun's hammer and smiled.

Ichika had less than a second to react.

Madoka pulled the trigger.

Time slowed to a standstill as the bullet launched.

However, Ichika was faster.

Ichika quickly deployed the Byakushki's right arm, narrowly blocking the bullet with the Unit's fingertips.

However, the gun's caliber was a lot more than Ichika anticipated, and he ended up getting knocked off his feet by sheer impact alone. Further surprising, the bullet's impact managed to knock him back as well as off-balance.

Madoka giggled like a sadist.

"I wonder how long this'll last."

Madoka raised the gun at Ichika again.

"Gotta admit, this is nice." She sneered, "Last time, little Tommy refused to submit, and it really got on my nerves."

Ichika flinched.

Did she...?

No! She couldn't have defeated Thomas!

Could she?

"What'd you do with Thomas?!" He demanded.

"You should be worrying about yourself right now!"

Madoka pulled the trigger again.

Ichika was too slow and still stunned by the first round, he wouldn't have enough time to stop the oncoming one!

Thankfully, he wouldn't have to.

Laura jumped from out of the blue, deploying the Schwarz Regan's right arm, and activating the AIC in the process! The bullet stopped dead in its path, and dropped to the ground as though it'd just been dropped!

But for some reason, her eyepatch was missing!

"Laura!" Cried Ichika in relief.

"Dammit...This is why Autumn tried to isolate Thomas in a contained area..." Muttered Madoka.

"Damn you...Going after my bride like zat!" Snarled Laura, "Vhere ish Thomas?! Vhat did you do vith him?!"

"Ugh...'Thomas' this, 'Thomas' that! Gimme a break already!" Spat Madoka, "What makes you think I know?! I've searched top-to-bottom to find the troublesome bastard, he's a damn good hider, if he's still actually here!"

"I vill make you talk!" Threatened Laura, slipping out a knife from the wrist of her sleeve.

"You are not my mentor, zhat much ish obvious! After I subdue you, I'll take you to Mentor Orimura for questioning!"

Laura threw the knife underhanded, aiming straight for Madoka's face.

Out of the blue, four Optical Drones deployed from Silent Zephyrs shot the knife in a crossfire, completely destroying it, and masking Madoka with smoke!

As the smoke cleared, Madoka fully-deployed Silent Zephyrs, towering over the two students.

"Silent Zephyrs?!" Laura gasped, taking up a fighting position.

There was no way Laura could face Madoka with a mere partial deployment, and all three of the combatants knew that for a fact. Thomas was missing, no-one knew what was happening, and they were most likely going to die.

"What a pain." Madoka growled, charging her rifle.

Ichika and Laura braced for the worst.

Before anyone had a chance to think, yet another surprise jumped out from the shadows!

A pair of Revive arms reached around Madoka, and threw her like a football!

"Tsk tsk." Shamed Thomas.

Thomas walked up to the two classmates, in his fully-deployed Rafale-Revive. As he went right next to them, he turned on his heel to face Madoka.

He did _not_ look happy.

"Thomas?!" Cried Madoka in confusion, as she got to her feet.

"YES!" He declared, pointing to his foe as his scowl turned to cocksure smirk, "I AM!"

"Fuck!" Snarled Madoka.

"Listen, Madoka," Explained Thomas, "Tonight's been a really long night, especially because I had a fight with Chifuyu, but I can assure this; Mess with the people I care about, and this will be the shortest night you'll ever have for the rest of your prematurely cut-short life!"

Madoka grit her teeth, as though she were about to retort, but held her tongue.

Instead, she zipped backwards, and launched into the air to escape.

"Soon...Very soon..." She mumbled as she flew away.

Madoka flew off into the night once more, and Thomas couldn't care less.

"What're you doing?!" Cried Ichika, "She's getting away!"

"Ve must pursue!" Agreed Laura.

"Do what you want," Snapped Thomas, recalling his Unit and turning to walk to the dorms, "I've got more important things to deal with right now, so I really can't. I just...Never mind, you just wouldn't understand."

Thomas left Laura and Ichika dumbstruck.

Ichika was still trying to process the entire ordeal.

Laura completely forgot she was following Ichika to try and get some time alone with him.

Thomas just couldn't be bothered to deal with anything that night.

* * *

_A few nights later..._

Ichika, Charlotte, Elias, and Thomas all sat on a rooftop vantage point, overseeing the shipyard below. Currently, they were all in their respected Units, should the need to intervene for any reason arise.

"Lemme ask one more time." Said Ichika, "Just to be sure, we're escorting IS equipment?"

"_Oui_," Answered Charlotte, "Recently, several countries have asked the IS Academy to test prototype equipment. However...Lingyin's on another assignment, Houki has family business, Cecelia has to attend a meeting, and Laura ignored me."

"Truly a shame." Commented Elias.

"It took a while for me to convince Miss Orimura to allow Ichika to come. But she seemed fine in letting Thomas go..."

Charlotte was quite confused.

_"If anything happens to Orimura,"_ Chifuyu told her, _"It's your responsibility._

_"What about Thomas?"_

_"You want Scott to go along? Don't let me stop you."_

Normally, Chifuyu wouldn't want either of them at such a risk.

However, in the handful of days after Thomas and Chifuyu's little argument, Thomas took every chance he could to put distance between him and Chifuyu. Chifuyu faced away from Thomas, refusing to even look at him.

Thomas kept taking every chance he got to put as much distance between him and Chifuyu as possible.

He wanted to apologize.

He _needed_ to apologize.

But he didn't feel like he had to capacity to actually apologize.

Chifuyu looked as though she would drop him dead and lay him out like a futon if he so much as breathed the wrong way.

He needed the distance to think of a way he could successfully say sorry, and not get ripped limb from limb for saying such horrible things in the first place.

He was angry, and said things they both knew he didn't mean.

Although they were true, it still wasn't right for Thomas to be acting the way he did.

"Neither of you had to come along," Charlotte said, "You two are being targeted, are were ambushed twice!"

"That doesn't give us an excuse though," Said Ichika, "The more the merrier!"

"I just want some distance between me and Miss Orimura," Admitted Thomas, "The longer the better."

"Why don't you just apologize?" Inquired Ichika, "You and Chifu-I mean, Miss Orimura never really fought like this before, so what happened?"

Thomas bowed his head, indulging Ichika's persistent attempts to pry.

"I..." He confessed, "I said some things in the heat of the moment. Wasn't my best moment, but certainly my loudest."

Though no-one asked, Thomas went further into detail.

"I guess Chifuyu just wanted to help, but I was too pig-headed to accept it. It's just...She and dad have been to remove any trace of my mom from my life, and it got too stressful because I can't even prove she even exists. And I..."

He remembered quite well what he said.

_"You're not even my real big sister, so what're you getting your panties in a bunch about?"_

"...I snapped. I lost it and said things I don't think I could ever take back."

"Oh..."

"Did...Miss Orimura say anything about it?"

"Not much." Said Ichika, "But when me and Laura crossed paths with her, she started crying and locked me in a bear hug."

"You're her _real_ little brother," Said Thomas, a faint hint of jealousy hidden in his voice, "I doubt I can even speak a word to her now without risking being obliterated without any trace."

"I'm sure she doesn't hate you-"

"You know what? Let's stopping digging into this and let me focus on finding a solution."

Elias rested his hand on his shoulder.

"We're here for you," He said, "You don't need to do this on your own."

Thomas locked eyes with him.

"I know that," Said Thomas, turning back to looking over the shipping containers, "But I'm fine. I can handle this."

"You looked as though you'd need a reminder."

"Mhm."

Thomas then switched places with Charlotte, and pulled out his Game Pad.

Everyone else stared at him.

"What?" He said, "Don't tell me you didn't bring yours, we need _something_ to pass the time in rotations."

Ichika slowly pulled out his own Game Pad.

"Where did you get those?" Asked Elias.

"Gamestop back in America," Said Thomas, "An old friend of mine owned the place. She had these shipped to me when she had spares to sell."

"What's the lady's name?" Inquired the heir.

"Amber Tally."

"Amber's always the nicest of the bunch!" Commented Ichika.

"Nifty thing! I've always heard of these, seen them even, but never been this close to them." Marveled Elias.

"I can order one for ya." Said Thomas.

"Would you?! I mean, it's nice and all, but I am more than capable of purchasing one myself."

"Makes sense, makes sense."

"So..." Said Ichika, "_Transformers: Escalation_? Or _Warframe_?"

"I'm thinking _Warframe_," Said Thomas, "Still gotta get the Daily Tribute."

"This'll be a cinch." Ichika said confidently.

Moments after, the group heard a large explosion, looking to find a massive updraft of smoke and fire emerging from a warehouse not terribly far away. Armed guards already on duty were moving to investigate.

"Maybe this _won't_ be a cinch." Said Ichika, as the boys put away their Game Pads.

"We should investigate!" Said Elias, preparing to take off.

"Hol' on," Said Thomas, pointing to the entry gate to their left.

Amidst the confusion, a white, unmarked cargo van ran right through the fencing, and swerved to a stop as it reached the cargo containers. The driver wasn't paying much attention to surroundings, as the van parked relatively next to the base of the group's vantage point.

"We found our explosion culprits." Muttered Thomas.

The group crouched, prepared to leap down from the vantage point.

The side of the van's container popped, and opened like a garage door.

Five IS Pilots in generic Rafale-Revives jumped out, and surveyed the area around them.

Thomas got a good look.

Potentially, they were Phantom Task Pilots. However, it would be premature to rule out anything else. There were five Pilots, which meant one of the students would have to take two.

"Charl," Whispered Ichika, "Do we have an ID for those guys?"

"There's no nationality or ID Code." Said Charlotte, scanning the Pilots with her Revive.

"Alright then," Said Thomas, "Take 'em down. Watch each other's backs. Wait for my signal to jump in."

"What about you?"

"Me?" Said Thomas, standing up, "I got a date with death."

Thomas was the first to engage.

He landed in the middle of the enemy pilots.

"What the hell?!" Snapped one.

The Pilots all trained their weapons on Thomas. Thomas slowly and casually raised his hands in the air.

The other three students all prepared to jump.

"Wait!" Said one pilot, "A male pilot?! That means...He's one of the students from the IS Academy!"

"D'oh shuckle-me-fiddlesticks!" Thomas said sarcastically, "You figured it out! I thought that if we were all twinsies, nobody'd notice! So much for my disguise! Damn, you're all too smart for me!"

"What should we do with 'im?" Asked a second pilot, "I mean, there's only two or three male pilots in the world, people are going to ask questions if we smoke this guy!"

"We can't just let him go," Said a third.

"Hey kid!" Said the fourth, "Wanna get rich quick?"

"What're you doing?!" Hissed the fifth.

"What's it look like? Guys're stupid; offer 'em a couple bucks and they'll do things a team of professionals couldn't do."

"You only know that 'cause you're a hooker! I've seen you at the bar tryin' to get lucky and fool around with boys!"

"Well, he didn't need to know that! Besides, he must feel so lucky since he's got all the girls a man could dream of! Boys in the Academy must be livin' it large!"

"Say...How 'bout we take him back with us?"

"What?!"

"Are you nuts?!"

"I mean, we can...y'know, bribe him and everything, pay him off. But..."

The pilot turned back to Thomas.

"Y'know," She cooed, "We work for a corporation, and we're trying to make some breakthroughs and everything...And, boys like you are a real hot commodity nowadays. So, we were thinking, if you'd come with us, and let us take a look at you..."

She took a few steps closer.

"...We could make it worth your while."

"Really? We're doing this right now?" Said Thomas.

The pilots were a little stunned. Normally, any two-bit idiot would fall for something like that.

"What?!" The first one said in dismay, she quickly tried to use her feminine wiles, "You're not interested? Don''t be that way! We're all experienced young ladies-"

"You know what? I don't have the patience to put up with this horse shit. Fuck it. Take 'em!" Thomas deadpanned.

He wasn't in the mood to be hit on. He felt more like hitting someone instead.

The other students leapt into action.

The sudden intervention startled the IS Pilots. They took their eyes off of Thomas for a single moment.

One moment was all it took.

Thomas vanished in mere milliseconds.

The pilots opened fire, but the students were simply way beyond their level.

"Shit! They're too fast!" Cried Pilot One.

The pilots quickly found themselves cut off from escape, with the students all training their weapons upon them.

"Y'know," Said Thomas, "I have a better deal for you; Come with us and we won't kick your shit in."

Ichika flinched, and glanced at Thomas in concern.

His fight banter was...A lot more sadistic than before.

"It's a whole squad of those brats!"

"Who the hell cares? Waste 'em!"

The enemy pilots opened fire upon the students, who quickly took evasive action.

Elias engaged with his Thermal Claymore and Barrier Shield, quickly taking up a knightly stance.

"Hmph!" He pouted, "I knew I should've taken the Pulse Lance!"

With combined attacks from ramming and slamming his opponent with his shield, he quickly threw her off balance. He'd smack her back and forth by swinging the Shield, right before finishing with a blunt strike from his Claymore.

Ichika brought his Yukihira Nagata down on his foe, trying to cut her down quickly before he could run into any complications. It was obvious the enemy pilots weren't actual IS Pilots, due to their pitiful combat performance. He reached around the enemy's guard, and fired his Charged Particle Cannon right in her face, and sent her straight to the floor.

Charlotte's opponent could tell the operation was botched, and tried to fly away herself.

The French girl quickly gave chase.

"And people insult the French for running away!" She quipped.

The pilot panicked, and frantically opened fire upon Charlotte in a vain attempt to get away from her.

"Fuck! Shit! DAMMIT!" The pilot absolutely lost it, and opened up all her missile racks as she tried to blitz Charlotte.

Charlotte reacted as though she'd been expecting such a move, quickly making a train with the missiles as she shot them out of the air.

"Pfft!" She sneered, as she the raced for the pilot.

The pilot lunged at her with a Knife in hand...

...Only to have the knife blocked easily by Charlotte's wrist.

"Wow," Charlotte insulted, "Your poor handling is holding your Revive back!"

"SHUT UP!" Screamed the pilot.

Charlotte shoved the enemy back, and deployed her Shield Pierce, and sent the pilot back to Earth with a mighty Overhand. The pilot screamed as she crashed headfirst into a container, and was still like a tree.

Charlotte remembered another of her duties.

"Ichika!" She cried in realization.

Ichika's opponent quickly tried to cut him up with a Combat Knife, but Ichika moved far too quickly for her to land so much as a scratch upon the boy. Ichika used the Barrier Void, and hacked off one of the Revive's wings.

He grabbed the pilot by her head with his Energy Claw as the wing clattered to the ground.

"Just give it up!" He pleaded, "We all know you have no chance of beating us!"

The pilot groaned, and dropped her weapon as a sign of surrendering.

Ichika then realized Thomas was still engaged in combat.

Thomas was simply done trying to play around, and instead began a one-v-two with the remaining pilots.

Although the pilots did their best, each time they tried to lay so much as a finger upon Thomas, they were quickly stopped by Thomas grabbing them and throwing them at each other.

They turned tail and ran.

Suddenly, Thomas caught up, flying right between them.

"You're not getting away from ME!" He roared.

He delivered a devastating elbow to one pilot, and a gut-punch to the other.

As one pilot recovered, Thomas quickly took the other, pinned her to a wall of containers, and pressed the barrel of his PDW against her belly.

He pulled the trigger, and roared with hatred.

By the time he was done, the pilot was eased into unconsciousness by the heat of impact of all the bullets.

She slumped into a heap on the floor.

Her partner got up, and tried to take Thomas from behind...

...Only to be met with Thomas igniting the thrusters on his back right in her face.

She was quickly disabled, blinded, and debilitated.

Thomas grabbed her by her shoulder, and delivered a gut-punch to lift her off her feet, and smashed her headfirst into the floor.

Thomas grabbed the back of her head, and lifted her face up off the ground.

"I grew up without a mom!"

He smashed her face into the floor.

"I wanted to be an IS Pilot as a kid!"

He smashed her face again.

"I was the laughing stock of middle school and the 5th Grade for saying that!"

And again.

"A lot of people I cared about lied to my face all my life!"

Again.

"I live in the middle of a fucking matriarchy!"

Again.

"I'm an IS Academy student, but it sure doesn't feel like it!"

Again.

"The entire student body sees the three of us guys as eye candy!"

Again.

"The only reason anyone pays attention to me is because of one! Stupid! Detail!"

Again.

"They all wanna sex me up just 'cause I'm a dude and it's their version of a sausage fest!"

Again.

"They put me up like property and moment's entertainment!"

Again.

"They see me as a fucking prize! An object!"

Again.

"My dad's removing any trace of my mom that exists!"

Again.

"One of the important people in my life hates me right now!"

Again.

Thomas was far too lost in his own seething rage to notice he'd already knocked the pilot out cold.

He was just too tired to even care.

As he calmed down, he pulled her head up to meet his.

"So say it again," He dared, "Say it again that I have it made."

It was only then that Thomas realized he'd gone overboard. The other students waited as Thomas dragged the both of the pilots back by their ankles. He said nothing, and avoided facing any of them as he quietly propped the pilots up into sitting positions.

Ichika could tell that the fight with Chifuyu affected Thomas a lot worse than he let on.

Because in he'd never be so ruthless and overbearing in his right mind.

The pilot Charlotte belted for six was the only one still conscious.

Thomas was too ashamed of himself to notice she was coming to, and pulling out a PDW.

The pilot knew it was pointless, but she wasn't about to go down without a fight.

"EAT THIS, COCKSUCKERS!" She screamed, opening fire upon Elias, Ichika, and Charlotte.

"Charl, Elias!" Cried Ichika.

Charlotte and Elias were in front of Ichika, and quickly brought up their Barrier Shields to block the oncoming bullets. The pilot wound up losing consciousness, and her gun trailed upward, striking holes through several containers.

One of them suddenly caught fire, and exploded.

Thomas and Ichika reacted as quickly as they could.

Thomas brought up both of his Barrier Shields, and worked with Ichika to use themselves as cover as the fireball enveloped them.

* * *

_The next day..._

"Ichika dearest!" Cried Cecelia, "Are you feeling alright today? Elias won't speak a word of what happened and I fear about his well-being."

"Yeah, sure!" Said Ichika, "Why ask?"

"Ugh! Could you be any slower?!" Admonished Lingyin.

"You should _never_ let your guard down, Ichika." Scolded Houki.

"I didn't want you guys to worry!"

"Ugh!" Spat Houki, "Honestly, you're hopeless!"

Ichika chuckled nervously.

"I said I'm sorry! Geez!" Chuckled Ichika.

Thankfully, none of the girls noticed the Byakushki Gauntlet missing from Ichika's wrist.

"Oh," Said Thomas sarcastically, "We're fine too thanks for asking." As he gestured to himself and Charlotte.

Elias was in Class 3, and was too busy being mauled by girls who'd heard the gossip regarding the incident to join them.

Without warning, Nana burst through the classroom door.

"What happened?!" She cried, racing to Thomas.

"I...Messed up." Groaned Thomas.

Tears swelled in Nana's eyes as she trapped Thomas in a bear hug.

"You're okay!" She blubbered, "I was so scared when I got the word!"

"It's fine." Cooed Thomas as he did his best to return her hug.

"Then you're gonna keep hugging me as long as I want!"

"...Fine."

Nana buried the side of her head into Thomas's chest, smiling with her eyes closed as continued hugging Thomas.

"I heard you fought with Miss Orimura."

"I did."

"How long until you make up with her?"

"I don't know."

"You'll find a way. You always do-Wait a minute."

"What?"

Nana ushered Thomas out of the room.

"Where's your Revive Pendant?" She whispered.

"...Miss Orimura confiscated it for the time being."

"Oh..."

"Like I said, I messed up."

Thomas remembered the entire incident that happened before classes that day.

* * *

_Hours earlier..._

Thomas and Ichika were forced to take scans after they returned to the Academy.

A problem arose, as neither of them could deploy their IS Units.

"Odd," Observed Maya, "Orimura doesn't have any physiological impairments, but I'm getting abnormalities in the Byakushki's and the Revive's Quantum Conversion."

"What about Scott?" Chifuyu asked quickly.

"Other than his mental disabilities, nothing that could really keep him from deploying his Unit."

"Oh."

"Orimura, try deploying...anything, really."

"Understood ma'am!" Said Ichika.

Ichika outstretched his arm.

"Yukihira, engage!"

Nothing happened.

"Scott, you do the same."

"Roger."

Thomas outstretched his arm.

"Deploy!"

Much like before, nothing happened as a result.

"It would appear that neither of them can deploy their weaponry, ma'am."

"But Dansforth and Dunois can?"

"Yes."

"Why could that be?"

"I'm afraid I can't say until I conduct further tests."

Chifuyu paused for a moment.

"Alright boys," She ordered, "I'm going to have to ask the both of you to hand over your IS Units."

"Wha?!" Ichika stuttered in dismay, "What if Phantom Task shows up and I don't have anything to help defend us with?"

"But that's the problem," Explained Chifuyu, "You'd be worse off in the midst of combat and your Byakushki suddenly fails on you."

"But-!"

"It's better to be powerless than defective. Or are you just scared to be without your IS?"

Thomas quickly removed the pendant from his neck and gave it to Chifuyu without a word or even looking at her.

"I'm not scared!" Ichika retorted, "Here, take it!"

Ichika took off the Byakushki Gauntlet and reluctantly handed it over.

"Good boy." She complimented.

Chifuyu looked at Thomas, and frowned as Thomas refused to even look at her.

She sighed.

"Now," Chifuyu pondered, "How are we going to deal with this if the girls find out?"

"It'll cause an uproar for sure," Answered Maya, "However, viewing this from a security perspective, it would be wise to notify the Representative Candidates."

"Ugh, great." Groaned Chifuyu, "This'll be a double-headache."

"No! Please! Do not let them know!" Begged Charlotte, "It was my responsibility to protect Ichika in the field...I am at fault."

"Then you better make sure you have a handle on this situation, Dunois." Suggested Chifuyu, "You all may go now."

Thomas wasted no time in leaving.

Ichika and Charlotte could feel the tension, and left at a slower pace.

"Ma'am? Is everything alright?" Asked Maya.

"I had a fight with Thomas a few nights ago."

"Oh, Ma'am..."

"He must be afraid of me."

Chifuyu didn't react the way she did out of anger at Thomas, but rather at herself.

She was angry because she did wrong by him. And worse still, she kept doing wrong by him. It was only a matter of time before they would fight like that, and Chifuyu was lying to herself by thinking she was ready for it.

"I bet he thinks it's his fault," Said Chifuyu, "But I honestly blame myself for not being the big sister he deserved. He needs something more than what his dad and I could give him..."

"What do you mean by that, Ma'am?"

"I mean...I have to find a way to make it up to him."

* * *

"Ichika!" Demanded Laura, holding up a magazine, "Tell me vhich one you like!"

She held up a women's fashion magazine, opened to pages with a collection of panties all over.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Cried Ichika.

"Laura?!" Cried Houki, quickly masking Ichika's eyes with a headlock.

"What're you doing, showing him that stuff?!" Questioned Lingyin.

"Hello everyone!" Called Elias, as he walked into the classroom, "I just managed to escape the legions of...What's everyone looking at-OH MY!"

"Elias?!" Cried Cecelia, "Quickly! Shield your virgin eyes!" She ordered as she placed her hands over his face to keep him from looking.

"My eyes aren't vir-Never mind!" Elias said quickly.

"Yo, lemme see-WHAT THE HOT CRISPY KENTUCKY FRIED FUCK?!" Said Thomas.

"What're we reacting to-JESUS H. FIST OF THE JOESTAR CHRIST LAURA!" Nana yelped as she blocked Thomas's vision with her arms.

"Vhat? I am only trying to determine vhat my bride's tastes are." Laura asked innocently.

"Your bride's tastes?!" Exclaimed the other girls.

"Jah," Said Laura, "Clarissa told me-"

_"Vhen a young girl ish in luv, a certain type of incident may happen. Zhis ish called zhe Panty-Flash Event. In zhis, zhe boy receives a glimpse of zhe girl's panties...So you must vear panties you vant Ichika to see at all times!"_

"The only time I want Thomas to see panties are when they're mine!" Scolded Nana.

"What?" Asked Thomas.

"What?!" Defended Nana.

"And zhese-zhe Horizontal-Striped Panties-are supposedly zhe very best kind for boosting likability!"

"Well..." Muttered Houki, "This design isn't so bad, I guess..."

"Yeah, I agree," Said Lingyin, "I have some myself..."

Cecelia kept one hand over Elias's eyes as she pulled out her phone.

"Chelsea," She called, "I want to order some new knickers-and it is imperative that they have horizontal stripes!"

"Hey, woah!" Protested Ichika, "Let's not-!"

"Perhaps Ichika ish flustered because it ish zhe truth?" Assumed Laura, "Clearly I have a modest bride."

"That's not it either!" The boy debated.

Charlotte simply giggled at the display.

Laura displayed the magazine to Charlotte.

"And vhich kind of undervear do you like?"

"Laura!" Chuckled Charlotte, "You aren't supposed to talk about things like that in front of a boy!"

"That's great and all," Said Thomas, resting his hand on Ichika's shoulder, "But me an' Ichika got some important stuff the Instructors need help with!"

Ichika quickly caught on, and the boys raced out of the room.

"What time is it?" Said Ichika, as the boys ran down the hall.

"It's only 11! We still have to get through lunch and the rest of the day!"

"What?!"

"We need to think of something, Chifuyu may cover for us, but the girls aren't stupid! They're bound to find out eventually!"

"And if that happens..."

"This school's gonna turn into a warzone!"

Chifuyu had decided the best way to cover up the incident was to limit how much time the boys would have to be around any of the students. However, she wasn't going to let the boys off the hook entirely, as she also decided the boys would help any Instructors with whatever they needed.

It certainly didn't help that Chifuyu told them the Instructors could be a little shameless, childish, and even a little horny sometimes.

They were going to have a very eventful day.

* * *

"Could you two strapping young men help me move some boxes?"

Thomas and Ichika did as they were asked, and made it a policy to leave before the Instructors would have a chance to do or say anything to them.

They quickly moved several boxes from room to room, and vanished.

All the while, Thomas was trying to summon the courage to apologize to Chifuyu.

What should he do? What should he say?

What should he do and say that wouldn't escalate the situation with what he did and said before?

It certainly didn't help that today of all days was the one that decided to be as as slow as physically possible.

"IIIIICHIKAAAA!" They heard.

"Well...Shit." Muttered Thomas.

"Why didn't you tell us?!" Demanded Houki.

"About what?" Asked Ichika, dreading her response.

"Are you daft?!" Said Cecelia, "How could you hide that your Byakushki was confiscated from you?!"

"Don't you realize you're a target right now?!"

"How'd you guys figure out what happened?!" Cried Ichika.

Charlotte walked up to the boys, a very embarrassed look on her face.

"I tried to mislead them..." She confessed, "But they just wouldn't buy it."

"If that's the case," Concluded Houki, "I guess I've got no choice but to give you my full time protection."

"Oh no!" Objected Cecelia, "This situation definitely calls for me and Blue Tears to step in!"

"Are you kidding?!" Called out Lingyin, "There's no-way a Long-Distance Sniper could _ever_ be a good bodyguard! Just leave it up to me and my Shenlong!"

The girls began to bicker and argue amongst themselves.

Thomas would've stood his ground, but this was a situation where they could actually kill him, whether by accident or on purpose.

"Ichika." He whispered.

"Remember the Joestar Secret Technique?"

"Always."

"We shout in unison on 3, and run for the Arena, we can split and hide."

"That most likely won't work but 1..."

"2..."

"3..."

Suddenly, the boys turned down a hallway, and began to run at top speed as they fled.

"NIGERUNDAYO!" They shouted in unison.

"Hey, wait!" The three girls called.

Charlotte took off running in another direction.

Nana walked into the hall...

...Almost getting run down by Thomas and Ichika as they fled.

Nana watched the boys run to her right, and looked to her left to see why.

She was nearly run down by Houki, Lingyin, and Cecelia using Partial Deployments of their Units chasing the boys.

Thankfully, the boys rounded a corner, temporarily masking them from view. However, The boys were coming up to the end of the hallway, which conjoined with a perpendicular hallway.

"See you on the other side, Dr. Chang!" Said Thomas.

"Right back at you, Mr. Smith!" Ichika called back.

The boys suddenly turned and ran in opposite directions, hoping to lose the girls by losing themselves in the halls.

Charlotte suddenly caught up to Ichika.

"I'm so sorry!" She sobbed.

"It's not your fault!" Consoled Ichika.

It was then the two had realized Cecelia's Optical Drone had locked onto them.

"CHARL, DUCK!" Cried Ichika as he tackled Charlotte, narrowly getting shot in the head.

Cecelia giggled jovially as the Optical Drone returned to the Blue Tears's Wing.

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Questioned Ichika.

"Don't fret!" She said, "I've decreased the power output. And now, you'll be taken under Mother Cecelia's Protective Wing~!"

"Don't shoot the guy you're protecting!" Criticized Ichika.

"Ichika, look out!" Cried Charlotte as she shoved Ichika forward.

Charlotte's hands were nearly chopped off as the Shenlong's blade sunk into the wall next to the pair.

"Agh! Lingyin's gone nuts too!" Cried Ichika.

"Don't worry," Snickered Lingyin, "I just tapped it!"

"You tapped it 8 inches deep!"

The girls locked eyes.

"Have at you!" Challenged Cecelia, "He's under my protection!"

"He's mine!" Shouted Lingyin.

Suddenly, Houki came in between the two of them the with the Akatsubaki's swords.

"_I'm_ the one who's going to protect Ichika!" She declared.

The girls all were brimming with violence, that would've certainly destroyed the school in their notion of protection!

That is, if it weren't for Thomas stepping in.

"RKO!" He shouted as he jumped, grabbing Cecelia and sending her to the floor in an RKO.

The other girls gasped in confusion, providing Thomas enough time to take them down.

Thomas rammed Houki, forcing her off her feet and on her back. He then rolled over Houki, and was now on his back at Lingyin's feet. He pressed his hands on the floor beneath him, and snagged Lingyin's head between his ankles!

None of the girls stood a chance when Thomas had the element of surprise.

However, his little advantage was short-lived.

It would only take them seconds to pulverize the boy.

Fortunately, Thomas had time things perfectly.

The girls recovered, and gave him the stare of death.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" They heard Chifuyu command.

The girls froze with utter fear.

"M-Miss Orimura?!" They gasped.

"It's a good thing I came when I did. You were right in coming to me, Scott."

"Hang on!" Said Lingyin, "Thomas brought you here? But I thought-!"

"Scott told me what was happening the moment I ran into him. We aren't on the best of terms right now, but even I know when I need to listen."

The girls all had shamed looks on their faces.

"For now, I'm prohibiting you from using your Personal Units for anything. Until I say otherwise, you'll be using the Training Models."

"Yes ma'm..." They all conceded.

"Now," Ordered Chifuyu, "Since you three seemed so keen on damaging school property, you can be the ones to clean it all up. You can start by fixing the hallway after all this, and then you can fill the craters and such in the Arenas. All of them."

"But ma'am-!"

"No debate! Or...Are you three gluttons for punishment?"

"No ma'am!"

"Then get to it! There a custodial closet down the hall, move your asses! If you hurry, you just might be able to finish up at dinnertime!"

The girls recalled their Units, and begrudgingly began their task.

Elias offered to assist, and none of the girls had any objections.

* * *

_That night..._

"M...Miss Orimura?" Hesitantly called Thomas.

Thomas was currently standing outside the door to Chifuyu's room.

He had to get the whole ordeal over with so they could all move on with their lives.

Chifuyu opened the door...

...And quickly yanked Thomas inside.

"Uh...Miss Orimura?" Thomas asked nervously.

"Shut it...Just let me love you like a little brother dammit..." She whimpered.

She pulled Thomas into a tight hug.

"Do you have _any_ idea how hard it's been?! I've done everything I could to help you and Alex, and it's just not enough!"

"I-I'm...Sorry..."

Chifuyu only pulled Thomas in tighter.

"Day after day," She said, "I'm terrified at the thought of losing you. You mean so much to Ichika, and so much to me! I didn't want to hurt you, but you're right about what you said."

"What?"

"Even if you never see me as your older sister...I'll always see you as a sibling of mine."

"Miss Orimura?" Ichika called as he walked into the room.

Ichika then witnessed Chifuyu crushing Thomas in a hug of love.

"Am I...Am I interrupting?"

"Perfect timing." Said Chifuyu, suddenly pulling Ichika into the hug alongside Thomas.

Both Thomas and Ichika were dumbfounded, but weren't about to complain.

"You're my little brothers." She said, "And you always will be."

Chifuyu held them in her embrace for quite some time.

"Oh," She remembered, "I believe these belong to you."

She handed the boys their Units.

"The equipment that was destroyed during the night job happened to be designed to help control the Quantum Conversion. It appeared that you two happened to be in range as it went off, and the gizmo somehow disrupted the Units' ability to deploy."

"Thanks, Chifuyu!"

"So..." Stammered Thomas, "Are we square."

Chifuyu chuckled.

"When were we round? We just had a fight, nothing that would end what we had."

"You two finally made up!" Cheered Ichika.

"Your dad's still busy elsewhere on the island." Said Chifuyu, "Wish he would be here, we could take a photo."

"Let's call then," Suggested Thomas, "We should've taken a group shot a long time ago!"

The trio were all happy.

For the first time in a while, they were allowed to act like family.

Thomas would come to envy his vanity, in those fleeting days of peace.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

Madoka laid in bed.

She could hear Squall's footsteps approaching.

She really wanted to be somewhere else.

Was she really so upset with making Squall mad?

"M..." Started Squall as she entered the room.

"What?" Madoka said, trying to sound as unapproachable as possible.

"I know all about you sneaking out."

Madoka's breathing stifled.

Now she _really_ wanted to be somewhere else.

"Kana's upset because you went to see Tommy without her-"

"Stop it already!" Madoka lashed out, "I don't get it with you people! Calling me a daughter, you're no mother of mine! Just shut up! 'Tommy' this, 'Tommy' that! Wake up already! He's not your kid, Kana's not your kid, and I'm not your kid!"

"You're right." Said Squall, coming closer, "But that doesn't stop me from trying."

Madoka curled up on her side, facing away from Squall to hide her blushing.

"You must've had it rough all these years, being without a proper family," Examined Squall, "And that's what I'm trying to offer you; A chance at having the family now that you couldn't have then."

Madoka said nothing.

"Are you still waiting for that grudge match so you can get back at Ichika?"

"No."

"Then what's wrong?

"I'm going to get my revenge on Chifuyu. I can pick off that Ichika-prick anytime I like!" Madoka said childishly.

"So, why go after Tommy first?"

"It...Got on my nerves how much everyone keeps doting on him. I just...I was frustrated, and felt like killing him so everyone'd shut up. But then I guess I'd take him back so everyone would have a real reason to actually talk about him at all."

Squall sat down at Madoka's bedside.

"Are you jealous of him?"

"N-No!"

"Are you sure? All you need to do is admit, and I'll spoil you rotten~!"

"...Maybe."

"Better than not at all. That's a good girl."

"Would you keep a secret from Kana?"

"Depends."

"Tommy's a lot cuter when he's anxious and at a disadvantage."

Squall giggled a little.

"Don't worry," Whispered the woman, "You're secret's safe with me."

The atmosphere became a lot better for Madoka.

"So," Concluded Squall, "Are you going to behave, sweetie?"

Madoka rolled onto her back, finally looking at Squall.

"Yes...Mo-Ma'am. Yes ma'am."

Squall chuckled even further.

Suddenly, Kana burst into the room.

"M!" She pouted, "How could you?! You went to go stalk Tommy without me!"

"Are you serious right now?!" Madoka shouted back, putting her guard back up.

The girls began to bicker and argue.

Squall couldn't help but smile.

Having a wonderful family like this brought joy to her heart.

* * *

**A/N: Done! I'm in school, so I'm struggling to write chapters these days. I might have to take a small hiatus to make sure I don't fail any of my classes. Here's to hoping it doesn't come to that!**

**Thank you all again for reading, it means a lot to me!**

**I decided to go with something of a family relationship for Squall's group in Phantom Task. It seemed like a good idea, since it really does feel like a family as I wrote on.**

**_Transformers: Escalation_ is a reference to _Escalation Mode_ in several _Transformers_ Games. it is in no-way an actual game, but a reference to the Game Mode, but also the name of a mini-series published by IDW.**

**_Warframe_ is an MMO Free-To-Play game. I was playing it recently, and it's since become a personal favorite of mine. No, I'm not sponsored or anything, I just decided to make a short reference.**

**Anyway, I'm really excited for how far I'm getting in this story!**

**But believe me, it's only just beginning!**

**I have plans to eventually incorporate _Infinite Stratos: Archtype Breaker_ into a future story arc, but not for a while.**

**Lemme know what you think!**

**Next Time: Coming of the Storm.**

**It's time for the Tag-Team Tournament at the IS Academy!**

**However, the boys quickly find themselves in a heap of trouble as they have to pick and choose their partners! And without a fourth boy, the trio must find a way to diffuse the situation without making it worse!**

**However, pacifying the situation might prove to be harder than they thought...**

**It certainly doesn't help that Alex seems to be acting strange...**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	20. Coming of the Storm

**I'm getting farther than I thought! Thank you all so much for the continued support!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**It's time for the Tag-Team Tournament at the IS Academy!**

**But Thomas, Elias, and Ichika find themselves stuck in the thick of things! With the entire student body trying to team up with them, the boys find a moment's rest in a magazine interview.**

**However, Thomas quickly finds that Phantom Task may be trying another abduction attempt...**

* * *

The sounds of mobs approaching the classroom could be heard from all over the school.

It served little more than a reminder that the Tag-Team IS Tournament was recently announced.

Currently, Thomas, Ichika, and Elias were sprinting away, in desperation to find a place they could hide.

One girl who got ahead of the others tried to cut them off by jumping out in front of them in the upcoming perpendicular hallway.

However, Ichika spun around her right, Elias ran around her left, and Thomas simply slid under her. The girl was too stunned to recover, and was left behind as the mob continued their pursuit.

This all started out of the blue for the three boys.

_Minutes earlier..._

"Orimura, Scott, Dansforth, Shinonono!" Called Mayuzumi, "Could you do me a solid? My sister works for a publishing company, and I was wondering if she could interview you guys because you have your own Personal Units."

She pulled out a copy of the _Infinite Stripes_ Magazine.

"This is the thing I'm talking about."

The group all looked at the magazine.

"Um," Houki broke the ice, "Does this magazine have _anything_ to do with IS stuff?"

"Huh? None of you have done this sort of thing before?"

"Not particularly," Said Elias, "I was transferred in the heat of the moment, so there wasn't much time to promote me or my Unit."

"I...Never really got an offers." Said Thomas.

"Neither did I, now that I think about it..." Agreed Ichika.

The boys had their suspicions, but neither was willing to be the one to say a word on the subject.

"Well," Explained Mayuzumi, "Pilots with their own Personal IS Units are pretty much celebrities, since there's only so many IS Units that are able to be active. Some become idols, but most just become models."

"Is this true Houki?" Inquired Ichika.

"What makes you think I know?" Answered the girl.

Lingyin jogged in.

"Hey!" She said, "I did some modeling a while back, and I've still got pictures!"

"I'll pass," Said Ichika, "Probably just you wearing goofy clothing and making weird poses."

"Is that supposed to be an insult to Jojo?" Questioned Thomas.

"Is that what you think?!" Snarled Lingyin, "Alright then, here, lemme show you! Look at it! Look at it right now!"

Ichika looked, and retracted his statement.

"Aww!" He fawned, "You look cute in those photos!"

Lingyin chuckled in triumph.

The group then heard thunderous stomping in the halls.

They looked out...

...Only to find a massive horde of girls charging headfirst at them.

"THERE THEY ARE! GET THOSE BOYS!" They shouted lecherously.

It didn't take a genius to know that something school-wide had come up.

"Aw shit, here we go again." Groaned Thomas.

The three boys took off and ran for their lives.

_The Present..._

"Look on the bright side!" Said Thomas, "At least we're getting our cardio for the day!"

"You're not helping!" Ichika shouted back.

"As much as I like witty and optimistic banter," Said Elias, "I'm much more concerned about how we're going to resolve this situation!"

"Break for the dorms!" Suggested Thomas, "If we can make it back to our room, we might be able to wait out till this all blows over!"

"Let's hope Chifuyu's late for class!" Commented Ichika, "We might be stuck for a while!"

The boys were trying to lose the mob, so they could make it back to the dorms and have a better chance of hiding.

"They're closing in!" Cried Elias, "They're going to catch up!"

"They're not catching up!" Said Thomas, "We're tiring out!"

The trio was in serious trouble.

They were getting tired, and it appeared that the girls seemed undaunted by their bodily limitations. Such a sight would strike fear into the heart of any reasonable man, but the boys were too busy trying to figure out a solution to be afraid.

There was a 4-way hall fast approaching.

The boys pushed their legs beyond their limits, and and put a veritable distance between them and the girls.

At the entrance to the hallway, a fire extinguisher was mounted on the wall.

Thomas immediately knew what he was going to do.

He deployed his Revive's Left Arm and a PDW, and fired a single round into the extinguisher.

The extinguisher popped, and released mist into the air, masking the boys as the ran through.

By the time the girls had burst through, the boys were already gone.

"Where'd they go?"

"Quick! Find them!"

"I'm gonna take Tommy!"

"Orimoo's mine!"

"I want Elias! He's so dreamy!"

The girls all split up in order to find their targets.

However, the girls didn't realize the boys had ducked into a nearby bathroom.

"Well, this is perfect." Said Elias, "We're trapped in here. And since the bathrooms are technically coed, we can't do a bloody thing to keep the girls out, should one be smart or ignorant enough to barge in!"

"Chill." Whispered Ichika.

Thomas went into a stall, and stood on the toilet.

"What're you doing?!" Whispered Elias.

"Making my own exit." Said Thomas as he reached for the ceiling.

Thomas pushed into the ceiling, and began to move one of the ceiling boards, opening up a way into the ceiling of the floor.

"We can use this to move away from the mob." Said Thomas.

The other boys, with no better options, shrugged and followed Thomas's lead as they climbed into the ceiling.

They were lucky.

When Thomas put the board back in place, he heard the door to the bathroom flying open.

The boys did their best to silently crawl away to anywhere but where they currently were.

* * *

_Some time later..._

The boys had escaped all the way to the dorms.

They decided to go into Ichika and Thomas's room.

"Y'know," Said Thomas, "I never asked what your arrangements are like."

"Hm?" Said Elias, "I have the room to myself. It's so small though, it's only as big as my closet!"

Thomas and Ichika stared at Elias in disbelief.

"So," Pondered Elias, "What now?"

"We should call Chifuyu," Said Ichika, "It's obvious we're gonna be here a while, so we're gonna be late to class."

Ichika quickly pulled out his phone to send a message to his older sister.

"Since we have a moment to breath," Proposed Elias, "It's time we should spend trying to deduce what exactly has gotten the student body so riled up this time around."

"I bet it's the Tag-Team Tournament." Answered Thomas.

"The Tag-Team Tournament!" Exclaimed Ichika, "I totally forgot about it! I was gonna partner up with...I forgot."

"Well," Said Thomas, "This is quite the pickle, isn't it?"

"How so?" Innocently asked Elias.

"One of us is gonna be the odd man out." Explained Thomas.

"What?!" Cried the other two boys.

Ichika's phone vibrated.

"Oh, Chifuyu messaged back." He announced.

"Well, no shame in putting off this subject, let's see-"

_"Get your asses to class now! Fight your way through and hit people if that's what it takes!"_ Read the message.

"Oh..." Mumbled Elias.

"We'll have to discuss this later, Chifuyu'll rip us a new one of we don't get there soon." Said Ichika.

Thomas remained silent, as he was currently looking out the peephole of their door.

"Guys..." He whispered, "We might have a problem with that."

Thomas looked out the door, only to find a massive mob of girls amassed directly in front of the door.

"No..." Ichika trailed off.

"That's the only way out of the room," Feared Elias, "How're we going to get out now?"

Thomas looked across the room.

"We take the balcony out!"

"ARE YOU CRAZY?! WE'LL DIE!"

"We have Personal Units, this is one of those times we need them!"

Elias and Ichika reluctantly agreed, and quickly raced from their seats to the balcony door. They'd just began to look over the edge, and quickly began to have second thoughts.

The girls must've gotten wise to the boys' plan, as they began to try and ram the door down.

Thomas pushed back against the door, to buy the other boys more time.

"Thomas!" Cried Ichika.

"Just go! I'll be right behind you-?!" Thomas was cut short as the wooden door began to make cracking sounds.

"But-!"

"GO!"

Ichika and Elias gulped, and jumped from over the balcony railing, activating their Units the moment they had enough space.

Thomas quickly began to think.

At most, he'd have only a few seconds-no more then 5-to get from the door to the balcony before the girls caught him. The moment he would break for the door, the girls would bust through.

Thomas prayed, and booked it.

The door shattered to splinters as the girls reached for him.

Thomas ran so fast, he crossed the room in 4 seconds, and jumped right over the railing without stopping or even touching the railing in one single, swift motion.

He rolled forward, and deployed his Revive to break his fall.

Ichika and Elias were hovering a few meters as they watched to see if Thomas managed to escape.

"He made it! C'mon! Let's get to class before Chifuyu starts class!"

The boys took flight for the classrooms, narrowly making it in time.

* * *

_Sunday..._

Thomas, Ichika, Elias, and Houki were all preparing for the interview.

"So," Asked Thomas, "What made you come?"

"Dinner Tickets for two." Answered Houki.

"I thought it'd be fun." Admitted Elias.

"Everyone else was going." Said Ichika.

"And you?" Inquired Houki.

"I've got nothing better to do right now." Answered Thomas.

A woman entered the room.

"Hi there," She introduced herself, "I'm Nagisako Mayuzumi, the assistant editor for _Infinite Stripes_. Thank you four for coming out here today."

"I'm Ichika Orimura."

"Thomas Scott."

"Good day, ma'am. I'm Elias Dansforth."

"Houki Shinonono."

Nagisako pulled out a recorder.

"Alright then," She said, "Let's get the interview underway. Let's address the elephant in the room first. Scott, Orimura, Dansforth, how do each of you feel about attending an all-girls school?"

"Well..." Said Elias, "It's quite a lovely change of pace from the school I attended prior."

"Interesting. Orimura?"

"I have trouble finding a bathroom I can use."

Nagisako did her best to not begin laughing.

"And Scott?"

"It's an experience, definitely." Said Scott, "It's more of an in-the-middle for me, But I'm leaning towards a good time."

"Wonderful to hear."

"Now, Shinonono, Scott, rumor has it that your Units were given to you by Shinonono's older sister, Dr. Tabane Shinonono."

Houki opened her mouth to protest, but quickly held her tongue.

"So, how do you feel about that rumor? Is this a plot to make you a Representative Candidate?" Nagisako asked.

"It's true, we both got our Units from Dr. Shinonono." Confessed Houki, "I'm grateful she gave me the Akatsubaki...But I'm not very interested in pursing the title of Representative Candidate at the moment."

"Okay then." Nagisako moved one, "Now, out of the four of you, which one do you believe is the strongest?"

Ichika, Houki, and Elias all pointed to Thomas.

"It's him." They all deadpanned.

Thomas realized what they were trying to say.

"Hang on!" He protested, "What're you looking at me for?"

"Don't be modest~!" Pressed Nagisako, "Might I ask why him?"

"He's incredible!" Praised Elias, "When I started in the IS Academy, he gave me a two-week impromptu training regimen, which managed to help me win my first real match at the Academy."

"That's because you never threw a punch in your life!" Poked Thomas with a smile.

"Oh? Give me the juicy details~!" Encouraged Nagisako, "Tell me you three, what's it like in the life of three boys in a society of girls?"

"Never a dull moment." Said Ichika, "For a long time, it was just me and Thomas, so it was really nice when Elias came on board."

Although there were many things the boys wanted to talk about, they didn't go too far into detail. If there were more males in the world who could pilot an IS, they wanted to encourage them to join the academy, not scare them away.

"I wouldn't go that far though," Said Thomas, "I mean, an IS is essentially a Iron Man-sized Gundam, and I'm just a kid from a middle-class family and the suburbs, nothing too special."

"How bold!"

"I'm just a guy who was in the wrong place at the right time." Admitted Ichika.

"How modest!"

"And me? I was just curious and touched a Unit, and my parents were watching." Said Elias.

"My my...Those're nice lines, albeit a bit cliche." Commented Nagisako.

She quickly picked up the recorder and held it closer to the boys.

"If you three were Commanders, what're your mottoes on the battlefield?"

"To protect my comrades." Said Ichika.

"The center of a storm is always still," Answered Elias, "It's best to find your way from there."

"The best defense is the best offense," Concluded Thomas, "As long as it's done with style."

"Alright!" Nagisako put down the recorder and clapped her hands, "Let's move onto the photoshoot!"

The students were quickly ushered into dressing rooms.

_Minutes Later..._

Houki breathed as she tried to calm her nerves.

She'd never forget what Ichika said his motto was.

_"To...Protect Houki!" Ichika said, his charm shining brighter than the sun._

"YES!" She cheered, smashing his fist against a locker, "YES, YES, YES, YES!"

The locker creaked open, unable to remain closed after Houki drove her fist right through the door.

Houki giggled jovially as she pulled out the dress designated for her to wear...

...Only to find it was a bit too much for her tastes.

"_This_ is what I have to wear?!" She exclaimed to herself.

The dress was bareback, which made Houki uncomfortable.

"This _does_ present me an opportunity though..." Considered Houki.

The girl could only wonder what the boys were up to.

_In the boys' changing room..._

"MOTHERFUCKER! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!" Shouted Thomas.

Thomas was painfully failing at putting on the clothes that were left for him.

"It's not that hard!" Said Elias, "I've done it myself plenty of times!"

"Easy for you to say!"

"Do you want help or not? Stop struggling dammit!"

"Just...Go on ahead, I'll catch up!"

"Suit yourself, pun intended!" Joked Ichika.

The two boys left the room, and waited for Houki and Thomas.

Thomas had manged to get his pants on correctly, a great improvement to his first attempt.

His first attempt involved him putting his pants on backwards.

Now he just needed to get everything else on.

Thomas groaned.

"Having trouble with the outfit we picked for you?" Said a woman, who walked into Thomas's vision.

The woman was American, in her early 20's. She had red eyes, with a mole under left. She was well-endowed at the chest. Her right arm was seemingly more limp than her left. She had a very calm and mature aura about her.

Thomas didn't really think much of it at the time.

"Yeah...Wait. Why're you watching me?"

"Everyone else is waiting for you, and I really don't get off to little boys, if that's what you're thinking."

Thomas sighed in relief.

"Here," She said, "Let me help you."

The woman quickly began to assist and further took control of Thomas's dress-up.

"Hold still." She said as Thomas spread out his arms.

The woman had completed the task in less than a minute after, with seemingly no mistakes or slips.

"You look dashing~!" She cooed.

"Thanks...I usually don't play dress-up, so this is a bit tough."

"It's fine, you look great in it. Looks like I made the right choices after all~!"

"You picked this out?"

"Yes I did."

"Well, thanks." Said Thomas.

"Think nothing of it. I enjoy moments like these...Being able to finally meet you."

"Oh...Good to know." Thomas said hesitantly.

The woman giggled.

"Don't be sad," She finished, "Next time, we can really open up to each other..."

Thomas flinched.

"...See you later, Little Tommy~!"

It was then that Thomas realized...

...He was in serious danger.

Or so he thought.

The woman dropped a smoke pellet, and quickly vanished.

Thomas steadied his breathing as he looked around to make sure the woman left.

He left the dressing room, praying that was the end of it.

Ichika, Elias, and Houki were all waiting for him.

"About time!" Said Ichika.

"He took longer than me..." Giggled Houki.

"I'm more concerned that he actually put everything on correctly." Joked Elias.

"It...Took a while, but yeah, I did." Said Thomas with a groan, quickly masking his shock from before.

Ichika and Houki were hesitantly complimenting each other as Houki failed miserably in trying to completely woo Ichika with her womanly charm.

"Okay then!" Nagisako announced as she clapped her hands, "Let's get the photoshoot underway!"

The students did all sorts of photos.

The boys did one together.

Ichika and Thomas did one back-to-back.

Elias did a few solos, and one with Ichika and Thomas.

Ichika and Houki did very mature photos, which left them both uncomfortable, but Houki was secretly jumping for joy inside. Although there were a few photos actually involving Houki, Nagisako focused much more attention on the boys.

To the students, it felt that Nagisako was ogling at the boys, trying to flesh them out the most since they were essentially the 0.1% of the IS Community.

It'd make sense for anyone to be absolutely shot through the heart.

"Perfect boys!" Said Nagisako, "Absolutely perfect! You three are like natural models! If the IS thing doesn't work out, you could have a wonderful career in fashion!"

After Nagisako took several more pictures of the boys, the shoot concluded.

"Thanks for your time!" She said graciously, "You can keep the outfits!"

The woman left to have the photos processed and ready for upcoming release.

"Well," Said Ichika, "Let's go! We can grab our clothes and just walk home, it's not far."

"Yeah," Said Thomas uncomfortably, "Let's just get rolling."

Thomas's voice sounded as though he'd say more, but strangely held his tongue.

The others didn't think anything of it.

And for some sick, twisted reason...

...Thomas felt it was better that way.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

"Mama!" Cheered Kana, running over to Squall and giving her a bear hug.

"Ugh." Groaned Madoka, "What're you? A 5-year old? Get grip already!"

"You're just jealous~!" Teased Kana.

"I...I am not!" Madoka spat back, her face turning a little red.

Without warning, Kana let go of Squall and turned her urge to hug upon Madoka.

"What the fuck?!" Madoka shouted as she struggled in Kana's iron grip.

"It's okay M~!" Cooed Kana, "I'll give you a big huggy-wuggy and make all your anger go away~!"

"Get off me!" Threatened Madoka, "I'll kill you!"

Madoka struggled further, squirming as much as possible in the hopes of escaping Kana's hug. She twisted, pushed, even tried kicking in her desperate attempts to save herself from being humiliated.

However, her efforts were all for naught.

"Damn you..." Madoka growled as she submitted.

Kana made a delighted squeal, and further tightened her hug.

Madoka refused to look out of shame.

Squall giggled as the girls interacted.

She walked back to her room, deep in thought.

"Squall, honey?" Said Autumn, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know..." Admitted Squall, "I suppose I'm just stuck on how we're going to abduct Thomas."

"We'll spoil the boy rotten giving him this much attention~!" Said Autumn.

"It's beginning to seem like he'll come to us willingly," Observed Squall, "Perhaps we should be more gentle with him. He seems like he's about to snap under all that stress in the IS Academy."

"There's plenty of time for bringing Thomas where he belongs. For now..."

Squall pushed Autumn onto the bed, and quickly got on top of her.

"...I feel we both have some tension to relax."

"We'll work on our little scheme tomorrow then." Autumn giggled.

The couple closed their door, so Kana and Madoka wouldn't outright see them doing bedroom activities.

* * *

_Much Later..._

"Just saying though," Said Thomas, "We should get some new Pilot Uniforms. It's gonna get chilly soon, and the ones we have now are honestly a little exposing."

The boys had managed to finally return to the Academy, and quickly changed back into much more comfortable clothing. Elias chewed them out for leaving their formal wear in a heap on the floor in their dorm, and stormed out back to his own dorm.

"Never knew you had a sense of shame." Joked Ichika.

The tension was thick between the boys. They'd both been put through serious situations, and both of them had emerged from those encounters with many questions, little answers, and great suspicions.

However, neither of them were ready to talk about that sort of thing.

"I'm thinking intelligently." Retorted Thomas, "You, my friend, are the densest object in the universe. Seriously, a black hole would collapse under your mass."

"Is that a challenge?"

The two boys laughed as they began to wrestle. They soon abandoned their little quarrel.

"You're right." Agreed Ichika, "What're you thinking? _Tron_ suits?"

"That...Would be cool, not gonna lie." Said Thomas.

"We should get Elias in on this, make it a guy thing."

"We can do that tomorrow-?!" Thomas quickly stopped talking, as he deployed his Revive's Left Arm.

The boys heard a thump.

"Ow!"

"What's going on?!" Said Ichika, deploying the Byakushki's Right Arm.

"Who's there?!"

"In here..." The voice called from the shower room.

The boys gathered by the shower room door, throwing it open as they pointed their arms, ready to deploy weaponry.

Their eavesdropper was none other than...

...Tatenashi?!

"Hey guys..." She groaned.

Tatenashi had been using the boys' shower, and tripped when she was trying to get out.

The only thing keeping her entire body from being exposed was a towel.

"Why're you in our shower room?!" Cried Ichika.

"My roommate was using the shower room in my dorm," Explained Tatenashi, "And I really wanted to talk to Ichika when you guys got back, so I decided why not use yours? I gotta say though, you guys need some more girly products if this is going to work out!"

Both Ichika and Tatenashi could tell that because Thomas had a very unamused look on his face and his Revive's fist visibly clenched. He was most certainly going to lay the smack at any moment.

Tatenashi for one wanted to pit herself against him.

Ichika didn't want to have to clean up the room if Thomas destroyed it.

"Anyway boys," Said Tatenashi, "I really do have to talk with Ichika about a very important matter..."

"So long as you don't start fucking like jackrabbits, talk all you like." Muttered Thomas, as he recalled the arm and left for the door.

"Where're you off to?!" Ichika said, nervous at the thought of Thomas leaving him alone with Tatenashi.

"I...Need to clear my head."

Thomas quickly left the dorm without another word.

_The very next day..._

"Elias!" Called Cecelia.

"Yes, lady Cecelia?" Said Elias.

"Would you accompany me to lunch?"

"Oh! It'd be my honor, lady Cecelia!"

The pair quickly left for the cafeteria.

"Ichika!" Said Charlotte, pulling out a very large Bento Box, "I made too much for lunch, here, have some!"

"Oh, thanks Charl!" Said Ichika.

The pair went up to the rooftop to eat lunch.

Lingyin and Houki quickly began to follow Charlotte and Ichika.

Nana burst into Class 1.

"Thomas!" She commanded, "We're teaming up for the tournament!"

"Yes!" He agreed, "We are!"

The couple could hear the groans of discouragement and disappointment.

It was in that instance in time that Elias and Thomas had both selected their partners for the Tag-Team Tournament.

Ichika, on the other hand, had not done the same yet.

_During Training..._

"Honestly dude!" Said Thomas, evading another swing from Ichika, "You really suck!"

"I'll make you eat those words in a minute!" Ichika shouted.

Thomas deployed his left Barrier Shield, and brushed away a downward slash from Ichika.

"Damn!" Snapped Ichika.

Ichika raised his sword, trying to take Thomas with a blunt strike using the Yukihira Nagata.

Thomas dropped to his knees as he charged Ichika, sliding between his legs.

Ichika realized too late what Thomas was about to do.

Thomas spread his arms and tripped Ichika face-down on the ground. Thomas grabbed Ichika by the wings, lifting him up as he spun him round. With a mighty slam, Thomas brought Ichika down upon his knee, grabbing him again and throwing him away.

Ichika rolled onto one knee, quickly recovering.

Ichika went on the attack, closing the distance between the with the Ignition Boost.

He brought in a gut punch. Thomas quickly countered by attacking with his own fist. Their fists connected, negating their attacks.

The boys then began to furiously trade attack rushes as they matched each other blow for blow.

Thomas grinned.

His Revive's arms were much sleeker than the Byakushki's.

Ichika caught Thomas's punch, only to have Thomas flick his wrist and slip around the Byakushki's hand!

Ichika brought his arm to block...

...Only to have Thomas smash his face with a Hook from his other hand.

Ichika began to fall back, but Thomas quickly snatched him by the wrist.

He chuckled.

"3 minutes," He said, "New record."

He then pummeled Ichika with overwhelmingly rapid strikes with both of his Shield Pierces.

_In the pit..._

"Well," Consoled Thomas, "At least you didn't run out of power this time."

"Shut up!" Growled Ichika.

"By the way," Said Thomas, "Isn't it kinda weird how you lose power so fast?"

"Well, the Byakushki's supposedly more offence-oriented..."

"You mean you can't shift power?" Inquire Thomas.

"Can you?"

"Been doing it for a while now..."

"What?!"

"How's that so weird? Can't anyone organize the power usage in an IS Unit?"

"Never heard of anyone doing it before..."

"I feel like I should take another look at my Revive..."

"Oh, by the way," Said Ichika, "Do you know anything about a Kanzashi Sarashki?"

"The kid from Class 3? Tatenashi's sister? Not personally, no. What about her?"

"Tatenashi wanted me to team up with her."

Thomas stopped and turned to look at Ichika.

"Tatenashi put you up to it?"

"More like actually begged me to do it."

Thomas paused.

"Something definitely up. She wouldn't be so pleading under normal circumstances."

"Well...It's sort of my responsibility anyway."

"How so?"

"Turns out she was a Rep for Japan...But the company developing her Unit put the project on ice to make the Byakushki."

"That bites."

"It's my fault anyway, so I should do what I can..."

"It's not _really_ your fault..." Said Thomas, "I mean, it wasn't your intention to put the thing on the back-burner You shouldn't try to shoulder responsibility that isn't yours, it'll seriously tie you down. It'd be much more responsible of Tatenashi to team up with with her sister instead of getting you to do it."

"Never thought you'd say that."

"Huh?"

"Well," Said Ichika, "It doesn't seem like you ever think or say anything that way. You were always the type who'd stick it out, I've never once heard of you preaching to cut losses."

Thomas paused, processing the information.

"Weird." He muttered, turning back to what he was doing. He continued to change his clothes as though the previous moment had never even happened. Ichika turned back to his own clothing, very offset by Thomas's sudden disregard for accountability and consequences.

Little by little, he was beginning to see more of that nightmare in the actual boy's behavior.

Would things turn out like that nightmare?

It began to seem that way.

* * *

**A/N: Hello everyone! It took so long for me to get around to finishing this chapter since I was editing and correcting errors in previous chapters, so be on the lookout for any changes made!**

**I want quickly do weekly updates this month, so I will be able to complete a Halloween Special Chapter and release it on time. I'll do my best to quickly pass through the Tag-Team Tournament Arc to make that happen!**

**I've been mapping out the future story arcs in American Idiot, so I'll confirm one or two things about upcoming chapters.**

**Thomas won't find the truth for a long time. A new male pilot will be introduced in a few more chapters. And, I'll reveal more about the Data-Duplication ability from Thomas's Revive. Round 2 of Thomas vs Laura will be happening soon as well.**

**So, I'll tell some of the confirmed partners for the Tag-Team Tournament.**

**Thomas and Nana, Elias and Cecelia, Ichika and Kanzashi.**

**Don't worry, I'll write up OCs to serve as the partners of the other Representative Candidates.**

**I hope you're enjoying reading this story as I am writing it!**

**Next time: Chaotic Fallout.**

**The boys have made their choices for partners in the Tag-Team Tournament, but in doing so, they made many jealous enemies! Can the boys manage to survive the fallout of their decisions?**

**Or will the student body prove too overwhelming for our boys?**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	21. Chaotic Fallout

**I'm back! Here with another chapter! So, let's dive right in!**

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**The boy have made their decisions for Teammates in the Tag-Team Tournament, but the entire Student Body doesn't seem to care!**

**With mysterious incidents on all sides, the boys do their best to prepare for the trying battle ahead of them. Thomas seems to be acting strange, and Ichika won't take being second fiddle in his secret activities any longer!**

**Will they survive the Tournament? Or will the entire IS Academy prove too overwhelming for the boys?**

* * *

Ichika walked into the dorm room with a hand-shaped welt on his face.

"How'd it go?" Said Thomas, not even bothering to look up from sitting at the desk. Currently, Thomas was looking through the Revive's data yet again, to make sure he didn't miss anything before.

"She...slapped my face hard." Answered Ichika.

"Anything else?"

"Not much."

"Well, nothing new there." Said Thomas.

"What's that mean?"

"You haven't been paying attention to literally almost every 15 minutes of the entire school year, have you? Literally everyone taken their licks on you, idiot. I'm amazed you still went through with everything."

"Seriously!" Snapped Ichika, "When'd you get so rude?!"

"What're you talkin' about?" Thomas wondered.

"You're acting weird lately...What's going on Thomas?"

Thomas stopped.

He inhaled and exhaled deeply.

"Phantom Task."

Ichika immediately stared in shock at Thomas.

"What happened?!"

"I...I'm just...tired."

Ichika took a closer look at Thomas's features.

The dark bags under his eyes had gotten deeper in color, his eyelids were open halfway, his was slightly pale, and his hair was shiny like oil. He hadn't actually showered in a long time, nor did he ever get a good night's rest.

"You haven't gotten much sleep lately, have you?" Inquired Ichika.

"Nana's gonna knock me out for a very long time if she finds out."

"Thomas...What's all this about Phantom Task?"

"I've met 3 of them now."

"3?!"

"Autumn, M, and some blonde woman." Said Thomas.

Thomas didn't know why, but he casually lied about Kana's membership in Phantom Task.

Perhaps it was because he wanted to know more himself before he went telling someone else.

"When did this happen?"

"The photoshoot, when no-one else was in the dressing room."

"Is that why you took so long?"

"Part of it."

"We need to tell Chifuyu-?!"

"We can't."

"Why not?!"

"As much as I want to tell her, I still have some questions I want answered. If Chifuyu figures out I know this information, she's gonna do everything she can to keep me from finding out the truth. Telling her is just gonna make things worse."

"This again?!" Ichika was getting angry at Thomas.

He just couldn't abide by Thomas's notion that Chifuyu would try to lie to him. Sure, it was quite obvious she was, but the woman had standards. That went for Thomas's father as well.

Even Chifuyu Orimura and Alexander Scott knew when they had to come clean and tell Thomas something.

Whether or not they actually would tell him was another matter.

Ichika didn't care.

Thomas was acting rude, refusing to let others help, and distrusting of everyone.

Ichika wanted to hit Thomas.

But it just wouldn't help anything.

Ichika growled, and turned to march back out the door.

"You're on your own." He snapped.

"What?" Inquired Thomas.

"I tried to stick with you on this whole 'Phantom Task-Mommy Issues' mystery thing, but that was before you started being such a massive dick about it! I'm not gonna stand and watch you do this anymore!"

"You realize we're in the same boat, right?"

"WE ARE NOT!" Ichika shouted, "Sure, Chifuyu and your dad may have been lying to us about the whole split-up, and it made sense to me then why you wanted to be hush-hush then, but now? Now you're not making any sense! You're not telling anyone what's wrong, so nobody can help you! You can do whatever you want-"

Ichika opened the door, looking back one last time before he left.

"-But don't think you can drag me down with you anymore."

He slammed the door, leaving Thomas to his lonesome.

Thomas sat in silence.

He zoned out.

The boy was so lost in himself that he didn't notice Tatenashi slinking away from the balcony.

_Minutes later..._

"Are you sure that's what happened?" Asked Chifuyu.

"Yes Ma'am." Replied Tatenashi.

Chifuyu closed her eyes and sighed.

"If I'm not overstepping," Asked Tatenashi, "What reason would Scott have to feel like he needs to hide this subject from you? I've done some digging on the subject, but I don't understand why any information is being withheld from Scott."

"I'd rather not say."

"I see..."

"But on another topic," Chifuyu changed subjects, "Scott and Orimura are on bad terms?"

"Yes ma'am, Orimura stormed out angrily. I suspect we could be looking at a grudge match between them. What should we do?"

"Nothing. An opportunity to remedy the situation will eventually present itself. Those two are far better friends than to let something like this tear them apart for long. Boys will be boys, and sometimes that means they have to figure things out on their own, whether that be with theirs brains or their fists."

"Very well then, Ma'am. But, Can I state an observation?"

"Go ahead."

"The only people I've ever heard say 'boys will be boys' are women." Chuckled Tatenashi.

"Well," Concluded Chifuyu, "From what I understand, boys will be boys, and girls are an enigma."

* * *

_The Next Day..._

The atmosphere was a lot more unnerving for Ichika.

Every time he approached one of the Representative Candidates, they'd always shut him down with a glint and a sinister look on their faces.

Neither Thomas nor Ichika were willing to talk things out just yet.

They'd do that eventually, but not now.

Everyone could tell something had gone horribly wrong between the two, as they didn't greet, or even so much as offer up a glance to each other. They didn't even exchange remarks, or interact in the slightest.

"What's going on with those two?"

"Maybe they fought?"

"Well, celebrities do like to have a bit of drama..."

Ichika left for Class 3, attempting to once again recruit Kanzashi. Thomas yawned, and passed out with his arms folded on his desk to serve as his pillow. He quickly closed his eyes and went off to dreamland.

The boy'd been neglecting a full night's rest, and proper hygiene for a few days.

It was obvious to everyone that he was not mentally sound.

Nana had entered the classroom to get Thomas so they could practice.

After several choice words, Nana picked up Thomas in a piggyback, and carried him back to his dorm room.

She was saying many more choice words along the way.

_In the Arena..._

"Elias!" Called Cecelia.

Elias quickly fired a round from his rifle, only to find his was was aim was off-center of the target.

"Bollocks." He muttered under his breath.

"Deary me," Observed Cecelia, "You need more help with weaponry than I thought. Did Thomas not properly teach you?"

"Nay, he spent most of the two weeks helping me perfect everything you saw from my rematch with Lady Dunois."

"Here," Cecelia said as she approached, "Let me help..."

She reached around Elias, helping him aim his rifle.

Elias blushed, very anxious from Cecelia's advance.

Cecelia was also blushing, but had more control since she was secretly trying to put the moves on Elias. It was very distracting for Elias, making the rifle shake in his hands and confusing his line of fire.

Elias fired again, his shot completely missing the target.

Elias froze with humiliation.

"No no Elias..." Cooed Cecelia, "You need to relax your shoulders, like this~!"

She began to ease his arms, purposely pushing her breasts into his back.

Elias made a small yelp in surprise from Cecelia's bold tactics.

Cecelia did her best to ignore the bloodthirsty glares from other students watching them.

"Now," She whispered, "Steady your breathing. You're beginning to wheeze like a vacuum."

"M-Mhm." Squeaked Elias.

"Sssh..." Hushed Cecelia, "Focus on the shot."

Elias closed his eyes as he took a very long breath of air.

His eyes shot open.

He looked down the viewscope, held his breath, and pulled the trigger.

The shot had struck a bulls-eye right through the target.

Elias allowed himself to exhale.

"Well done!" Praised Cecelia, pulling Elias in for a hug, making sure to press her chest against him even deeper.

"M-Milady! You're too close!" Elias's voice cracked.

"I'll spoil you rotten like this!" Said Cecelia, "We ought to begin more in-depth combat training for you!"

"Yes ma'am!" Elias snapped with renewed vigor.

_In the Pit..._

Lingyin was doing a systems-check on the Shenlong, trying to find any means she could use to put the hurt on Ichika for not teaming up with her.

She was going to be the one to pulverize Ichika.

"I just told you already, dammit!" Snarled Lingyin, "I need you to get me the Data Package for the new Widespread Impact Cannon for the Right Shoulder Unit on the Shenlong! AND I NEED IT YESTERDAY! You have 3 days to finish and I don't wanna hear that you can't do it!"

Lingyin shut off her comm as she continued working on the Shenlong.

"Beg for mercy all you want Ichika," She muttered, "You're getting none from me!"

She giggled like a maniac as she continued her work by herself.

Ichika was going to get what was coming to him.

_At the tallest point of the IS Academy..._

Charlotte stood with her back turned to the edge.

She wanted her best effort for when she beat Ichika down.

She closed her eyes as she began to focus.

She leaned back, and fell gracefully through the sky.

Holographic targets popped up around her.

Her Unit came with an AR Training Program, allowing her to perform live-combat scenarios at will. Whenever she was training alone, she'd always use the AR Program to help herself focus.

Without warning, she spun around as she rolled through the air, deploying her PDWs and opening fire upon the targets. She hit the bulls-eye each and every time. When a target was close enough, she'd deploy her Combat Knife and jab the center of the target in close-quarters.

She'd done all of this without even stopping.

The moment she hit the ground, she skated around to cancel out the inertia of the landing.

"I will be your worst nightmare, Ichika." She mumbled to herself with an evil smile on her face.

She then began to think about how she was going to show Ichika her superiority.

However, she also had to be on the lookout for the other two boys, should fate somehow intervene.

Both Elias and Thomas had proven they could hold their own, even lead a battle to victory.

With Elias, it would be a challenge since Thomas had trained him.

With Thomas, a mere sparring match would against him had the chance to land her in the Emergency Room.

Charlotte had been planning to modify her Revive, in the hopes to put in on par with Thomas's speed.

She'd be the one to outmatch Thomas, should the need ever arise.

_In the Locker Room..._

Laura was sharpening her best knife.

She was going to savor the look of terror on Ichika's face when she beat him.

She began to think of all the ways she'd torture the boy in their eventual match.

Another thought struck her.

What if Ichika didn't make it to fight her? Or what if instead, she had been beaten? Or if she had to face the other boys instead?

That didn't matter.

Elias was no threat to her.

Thomas, on the other hand...

Thomas had unnatural combat prowess. He supposedly never had any notable training, and yet she'd seen him perform jujitsu moves as though they were second nature. He was far more receptive and beyond the average boy.

But it seemed as though Thomas didn't even notice, let alone know.

She had to keep her guard up. He'd given her trouble with a mere Uchigane, she'd most likely be defeated now that he had a customized Personal Unit.

Laura would have to study Thomas later.

Right now...

...She had to plan on how she was going to properly punish her bride for not teaming up with her.

Laura looked into the flat of her knife.

She smiled, as the blade was shiny enough to be a perfect mirror.

"I vill show you vhat true terror looks like," She giggled, "In fact..."

She pointed out her knife at the lockers in front of her.

"...I vill engrave it into your very flesh, Ichika!"

Suddenly, in Laura's twisted delusion, she swore she saw Ichika's loving smile on a locker door. He looked lovely and handsome, his smile could melt the most frozen of hearts.

With a flick of her wrist, Laura threw the knife right into the image, embedding the blade into the locker door.

Realizing the weight of her actions, Laura gasped in horror.

Her knife! By throwing it and jamming it into a locker door, she dulled the blade after all that time she spent sharpening it!

She quickly opened the door, realizing it was her locker...

...And the knife had been jammed right through a photograph she took of Ichika and taped to the inside of the door.

Thankfully, the rest of her excessive amounts of knives cluttering the top shelf of the locker were untouched.

"I just spent all day trying to repair it!" She shrieked in horror.

Acting quickly, Laura began to frantically dig into her locker looking for the tools she could use to sharpen the knife.

However, her frivolous movements had done little more than create a bigger mess.

As she bumped around trying to find tools, all the knives on the top shelf had shaken loose, and began to fall out of the locker and onto the floor. Laura was bombarded with the leather holsters, and fell to her knees as she was pelted.

Laura quickly found herself covered in a pile of holstered knives.

"Medic!" She cried desperately, "I need a medic!"

There was no way the German Uber Soldier could be able to fix all of her knives on her own.

_In the Kendo Club Room..._

Houki held a real katana in its sheath as she focused her mind on the sole concept of crushing Ichika.

Her free hand caressed the hilt of her weapon.

"Showing you some mercy is the _least_ of what I can do, Ichika. I'll make it quick so you won't suffer...much."

Without warning, she drew her blade in the blink of an eye, pointing it outward to gaze upon it.

She raised her arms into the air as she prepared to begin another training session.

That is, before Tatenashi appeared out of nowhere and groped her chest from behind.

"Gotcha Houki Pouki!" Cheered Tatenashi playfully.

"W-What're you doing, Tatenashi?!" Yelped Houki.

"So," Tatenashi observed as she let go, "I've noticed you're training with a live blade."

"Well," Houki answered, "Yeah, of course I have."

"Ooh!" Piped up Tatenashi, "Crazy idea; Let's hook up!"

"Huh?!"

"Y'know, for the tournament!"

"Oh...Right.

"Cmon!" Tatenashi grabbed Houki's hand, "Let's get started!"

Tatenashi guided Houki to register their partnership, and prepare for training.

Houki was taken aback, since Tatenashi had the same energy as her own sister Tabane.

_In the Dorms..._

Nana had finally reached Thomas's dorm room.

She'd been carrying the unconscious boy the entire way to the dorm room.

She opened the door, closed the door as she entered, walked over to Thomas's bedside, and dumped the boy on his bed. She straightened out the body and draped his blanket over him.

She sniffed the air around him, only to find he reeked badly.

"Gross..." She muttered, "What the hell were you up to?"

She'd make him take a shower when he woke up.

She'd heard all the gossip about Thomas and Ichika supposedly becoming rivals, and pulling publicity stunts to create hype for the Tag-Team Tournament.

However, something felt off.

She'd seen them, and not once did they bother to so much as look at each other.

Nana would also scold Thomas for whatever really happened later.

She smiled as she remembered Thomas telling her all about what happened during his stay at the IS Academy.

He seemed to have so much fun.

However, she couldn't help but feel a pang of envy as she remembered Thomas's stories.

It was obvious to Nana that both of she and Thomas had crushes on each other, but neither were steeled enough to actually admit it to each other. At first, it was Nana trying to stick up for Thomas, which turned to affections for him.

His dad accepted her with a warm welcome.

She really didn't know about how his mother would react.

Not that it really seemed to matter.

Nana had to wonder...Why was Thomas getting more sour to others? Was it the stress of the IS Academy?

Whatever the case, Thomas needed to get himself in order.

They'd lose the Tag-Team Tournament if he couldn't get his act together.

* * *

_The Next Day..._

"Kanzashi-San!" Cried Ichika, "Where are you?"

Ichika had been running around trying to find Kanzashi in the hopes of finally getting her to team-up with him.

The fight between him and Thomas was still too fresh for either of them to start conversing with each other yet. Ichika felt guilty for being so angry himself. After all, Thomas had been under a great deal of stress for a while now.

Even Thomas needed a time he could act for himself.

_"But..."_ Thought Ichika, _"There's something he's not telling me. And it doesn't completely excuse his behavior."_

Ichika perished the thought as his focus returned to his main task.

He'd searched high and low, only to be received with murderous glares from his group of friends, or nothing at all.

The last place he was checking was the Arena.

"Where is she...?" Ichika muttered to himself.

The boy looked up into the sky.

"What the heck is that?" He mumbled as he squinted, trying to make out a dot in the sky.

And finally, Ichika found Kanzashi.

Currently, she looked to be testing her Custom Unit's flight controls. Her IS itself was quite impressive, despite being mostly constructed by Kanzashi alone. Without warning, pitch-black smoke began to trail from the Unit as it traveled.

It didn't take a genius to know what was going on.

Kanzashi began to plummet helplessly as her Unit sputtered and died.

Ichika only had seconds to act.

He leapt into the Arena from the stands, and quickly deployed the Byakushki.

Ichika knew that the only option he had was to catch Kanzashi just before she hit the ground. If he tried to meet her head-on, it would take them both out of flight and make a bigger situation.

Using the Ignition Boost, Ichika skated across the Arena and jumped.

He caught Kanzashi in his arms, and the two of them tumbled to a stop as they crashed into the Arena wall. Ichika put himself between the wall and Kanzashi as he cradled her.

"O-Orimura?!" Cried Kanzashi, "Are you okay?!"

"This..." He grunted, "Hurts like hell."

"I-I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine. Are you okay?" Ichika turned the question on her.

"Y-Y...Yes, I'm fine." Kanzashi stuttered nervously.

"I'm glad to hear that." Ichika chuckled.

_In the Pit..._

Kanzashi and Ichika went to the pit, only to find Thomas doing maintenance on his Revive.

He offloaded a good portion of the weaponry, and began to modify it.

Thomas and Ichika saw each other, and with blank faces, quickly turned away from each other.

Kanzashi took notice.

"Weren't you two roommates?" She inquired, "And, on top of that, best friends?"

"We had an argument." Thomas deadpanned without looking up from his work.

"Yeah...Let's not focus on it. We're still trying to talk it out." Ichika deadpanned in agreement.

"We haven't 'talked it out' yet. Do your business, and I'll do mine."

Thomas began to take tools, and started modifying one of his Grenade Launchers.

Ichika and Kanzashi left the Pit to register their team-up, and went to get lunch.

Chifuyu walked into the pit to find Thomas working on his Unit.

"Thought you'd be training with Parker, Scott."

"She's on solo training right now, Ma'am. I'm going to start training with her in an hour."

"I see."

"Is this about me and Orimura, Ma'am?"

"No. I don't need to intervene on that matter. You can resolve it yourself."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"I'm here to talk about your mother with you."

Thomas completely froze.

"Ellen Scott."

He slowly began to turn and look Chifuyu directly in the eye.

"What?"

"That's her name. Ellen Scott."

"But...Why? Why this? Why now?"

Chifuyu took a breath as she prepared her little speech.

"Listen," She said, resting a hand on his shoulder, "I can't pretend I know what it's like for you-with the Phantom Task business, and everything else-but I feel like it's time you receive something of a reward for your efforts. Your mother's out there, and you're stuck here."

"What're you saying?"

"I'm saying...I'm saying it's time me and your father start telling you what's going on."

"That's right." Alex jumped in.

"Dad?!"

"Chifuyu's told me all about the incidents. The School Festival, the Mall-all of it. And...Due to recent events, I think it's time you get answers to your questions."

"Really?"

"Although..." Alex said the one word Thomas really didn't want to hear.

"What?" Thomas deadpanned, knowing full well what was coming next.

"We can't tell you right away."

"Oh..."

"It's...A very complicated matter. We did this so that you'd know that there's hope."

Thomas, despite the pain of knowing he wouldn't get to know the truth just yet, did his best to accept the wonderful gift he'd been given.

For the first time in 16 years, Thomas's soul suddenly began to feel a lot lighter.

"...Thanks." Said Thomas, hugging Alex tightly.

Thomas breathed in, and out.

"Well," He said, his jovial voice returning to normal, "If you don't mind, I gotta get to training with Nana."

The boy packed up his things, and ran off in search of his partner.

Chifuyu and Alex began to talk.

"This isn't going to make things a whole lot better." Said Chifuyu.

"I know," Said Alex, "But I think it's time my son got to learn about his family...His _whole_ family."

_In the Arena..._

"Atta girl, Nana!" Cheered Thomas as Nana shot targets.

The duo had finally began acting like a team, as they practiced over and over.

It didn't really seem like practice to them.

To Nana and Thomas, it seemed much more like them growing into a couple in all but name.

The other Representative Candidates took notice of how much brighter Thomas seemed. His youthful vigor and energy had returned, his bright smile became even brighter, and he had a spring in his step that not even a rabbit could match.

Most of the girls couldn't help but feel envious of the how much the duo were enjoying themselves.

Elias and Cecelia doted on each other like a married couple.

Ichika and Kanzashi were in the Workshop as they worked on completed Kanzashi's Unit.

Thomas laughed like a child at an amusement park.

Now all he had to do was patch things up with Ichika.

_Later that night..._

Thomas strutted through the halls.

His grin never faltered, despite how sore his face was from smiling.

He just couldn't help himself.

Thomas walked through the building, and reached his dorm room.

"Ichika, I-?!"

Thomas watched as Ichika froze with a panicked look on his face.

Currently, Tatenashi was facedown on Ichika's bed as the boy massaged her back.

"I'll...Come back later. Don't get into the serious stuff while I'm gone~!" He teased.

"Ichika!" Commanded Tatenashi, "Rub my butt!"

"No, wait-!" Ichika called, only to be cut off by Thomas closing the door.

Thomas sighed.

He missed the feeling of true joy.

Thomas then heard a pair of footsteps thumping down the hall.

When he looked around the corner, he found none other than Kanzashi Sirashki crying in a ball on the floor.

"Aw..." He cooed, "There there..."

He helped the sobbing girl to her feet. As she stood up, he pulled her into a hug, and rubbed her back.

"What's wrong?" He whispered.

"O-Orimura...Big Sister!" Were the only two words Kanzashi was able to coherently pronounce.

"Oh..."

Thomas's smile finally sobered.

Thomas knew about Tatenashi putting Ichika up to teaming up with Kanzashi. However, it was only then that Thomas realized why Tatenashi herself didn't team up with Kanzashi instead, but rather used discretion with Ichika.

"Ssh...It'll be fine...Big Sis was just trying to look out for you."

Kanzashi paused her sniffling, and wiped her tears, "Huh?"

"From my understanding, she wanted nothing more than to team-up with you." Explained Thomas, "But it seems to me that you feel like you're upstaged by her, don't you?"

"Y...Yes..."

Thomas let go of the girl, and rested his hand on her shoulder.

"It might not help," He assured, "But Ichika would've teamed-up with you anyway."

"What?"

"Yeah. He heard all about the incident about your Unit being pushed aside for his, and wanted to make up for that. And-don't tell him I said this-but, the whole reason he and I were acting like jerks to each other was because...Because I sorta voiced my opinion on the whole thing."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He still pressed on, even after I told him not to."

Kanzashi looked down as she processed the information.

"I guess," Concluded Thomas, "I guess what I'm trying to say is to give Ichika a second chance. So...Whaddaya say?"

Kanzashi thought long and hard with a cute and blank look on her face.

"I-I'll...I'll try!" She answered with a smile and blush.

Thomas smiled.

"Glad to hear it. Now...Go get some rest, will ya? You look like you haven't sleep for a week!"

Thomas turned to leave, hearing Kanzashi shout a _"Thank you!"_ as he walked off.

The boy began to finally focus on the Tag-Team Tournament.

The Tournament was tomorrow. And Thomas knew for a fact that he was going to have great trials before him.

He wasn't wrong.

However, he didn't know just what sort of danger tomorrow would bring.

* * *

**A/N: Whew! Getting through this chapter took a lot more writer's block than I thought it would! But nevertheless, I've done it!**

**Now, someone might be asking why I said Yin is Thomas's mother but the mother's name is Ellen Scott. That's because it's quite obvious she changed it after disappearing.**

**Upon reflection, this chapter is a lot more disorganized in my opinion, but I feel that this is good enough to release.**

**In the coming chapters, I'll ****reveal Kana's Personal IS Unit soon enough! On top of that, another male pilot OC will debut soon! But before that, I have to get through the rest of the Tag-Team Tournament Arc, and the Halloween Special!**

**Hope you look forward to those things!**

**Anyway, as I said before, I didn't forget about the rematch between Thomas and Laura, and I feel like this is the perfect place for it!**

**I'll say this now, Thomas may be a remarkable IS Pilot, but that doesn't mean he won't have a serious challenge next chapter!**

**Next Time: Grudge Rematch!**

**The Tag-Team Tournament is underway, and Thomas is up in the very first match!**

**His opponent is none other than Laura!**

**However, despite Thomas's abilities, he's in for a very close fight! Laura's on a rampage, and she'll stop at nothing to make sure she can be the one to fight Ichika!**

**Can Thomas find a way to win? Or is he doomed to become an appetizer for Laura's hunger for vengeance?**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	22. Grudge Rematch

**At last! The rematch between Thomas and Laura is finally here! I've been waiting so long for the perfect time for the second fight, and now I can prove to everyone that I didn't forget!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**The Tag-Team Tournament is underway!**

**The match to start off the Tournament is none other than Thomas's fateful rematch with Laura! Tomas is in a far more dangerous fight than before! Laura's on a rampage, and she'll stop at nothing to ensure she'll be the one to fight Ichika! Thomas soon learns that his natural talents might not be enough to help him this time!**

**Can Thomas find a way win? Or is he doomed to become an appetizer for Laura's hunger for revenge?**

* * *

Thomas looked at the Tournament Match charts.

His heart stopped.

He and Nana were up against Laura and her randomly selected partner, Honne.

Nana and Thomas looked to their right, only to find Laura giving them the death stare.

Nana cowered behind Thomas, and Thomas gulped.

"This...Has just become a very dangerous situation." He said.

_In the Locker Room..._

Thomas was getting dressed in a brand-new prototype Pilot Uniform the Maintenance Department girls had made for him.

Instead of spandex shorts and a shirt, the new uniform was a morph suit, made with leather and spandex for protection and flexibility. The girls that made it called it an "Undersheath," as it was designed for the boys to use both as protection while piloting the IS Unit, and outside of it.

The suit was colored black and dusty rose accents, since the girls didn't have time to add colors or themes to the suit. The suit covered everything to halfway up his neck, and the base digits of his fingers.

Although the girls were reluctant to make it, since they enjoyed looking at Thomas's skin, they made the suit to the best of their ability.

Plus, it felt a lot less exposing for Thomas.

However, the Maintenance Department made the suit on such a short notice, and weren't able to make a proper suit.

Thomas reminisced about his first fight with Laura.

Back then, Laura and Cecelia were fighting him at the same time. However, this time Laura was fighting him with a random girl that picked out of a crowd. This was indeed a relief for Thomas.

He could tell she was absolutely pissed at Ichika. That anger would cloud her judgement, giving him the mental upper-hand.

However...

Laura was a kind of Pilot who would be capable of winning through sheer willpower alone. Her drive was simply unstoppable in that state.

At best, The easiest chance of winning would be to beat Honne allowing both Nana and Thomas to fight Laura instead of fighting individually.

There was still a high chance of losing.

Laura was a lot more determined than the first time they fought. Should Thomas make so much as a single mistake, Laura would take full advantage and utterly crush him without respite.

Nana wouldn't last long against Laura on her own.

Nana was easily scared by the girl, combined with the fact that Nana also wasn't skilled enough to handle Laura. Should Nana find herself up against Laura on her own, she'd most likely lose very quickly.

Thomas sighed.

This was going to be a very close match for them.

_In the Arena..._

Laura and Honne stood on the floor of the Arena as they waited for their opponents.

Honne didn't have a Personal Unit, and was piloting an Uchigane provided by the Academy.

"So," Honne tried to break the ice, "Um...You excited?"

"I vill crush zhem, zhey vill not get in my vay."

Honne began to sweat.

"Yeah..." She cheered nervously.

Chifuyu and Alex stood in the Control Room with Maya.

"Bodewig's going to be a challenge for Scott." Stated Chifuyu.

"Are you sure Ma'am?" Inquired Maya, "Considering most of her anger is oriented towards Orimura for not teaming-up with her, I'd say that Scott won't need to to beat her."

"That's just it," Explained Chifuyu, "Bodewig's sole motive is that she wants to fight Orimura..."

Chifuyu looked into the Arena as Thomas and Nana entered the Arena, taking their positions.

"...She's going to crush anything that stands in her way."

* * *

_1 Minute to the Match Start..._

"You vill not stand in my vay, Scott!" Shouted Laura.

"Oh yeah?" Sassed Thomas, "Then change directions!"

Laura growled, brimming with anger.

"Tommy," Pleaded Nana, "Can we please not antagonize the scary monster?"

"I'll take Laura, you take Honne."

"Uh...Right..." Nana whimpered.

"I've dealt with her before," Assured Thomas, "Last time, all I had was an Uchigane. But now..."

He locked eyes with Laura as the timer counted down.

"...Now I've got a whole lot more."

_10..._

The audience fell silent.

_9..._

Thomas did his best to ease his nerves.

_8..._

Alex was ready to cheer his son on the moment the match started.

_7..._

Laura took up a fighting stance, doing her best to prepare for anything Thomas would try.

_6..._

Honne was getting nervous as the timer ticked down.

_5..._

Laura had her AIC ready for use at the drop of a dime.

_4..._

The audience held their collective breath.

_3..._

Thomas relaxed his shoulders.

_2..._

Laura and Thomas gave each other determined glares.

_1..._

It was time.

The bell sounded off, and the first match of the Tag-Team Tournament had begun.

The audience erupted with cheers and shouts as the combatants began.

Laura and Thomas rushed each other.

Thomas burst forward with an Ignition Boost, and skated his way towards Laura.

Laura tried to close the distance and stop Thomas with the AIC before he could get away. Thomas foresaw this, and launched into a flying jump over Laura just before he was in range.

He landed, and attempted to take Laura in a Sweeping Roundhouse Kick at her feet.

However, Laura seemed far more advanced than she was the first time they fought.

Without warning, Laura spun around and hit Thomas with a Roundhouse Kick to his head, quickly sending him then used her AIC to lock him in place, quickly firing a round from her Railgun. She finished off her combo by snagging Thomas's wrist with Wire Daggers, and yanking him back to her with a powerful Haymaker to send him flying back down the field.

"I've improved myself since our last fight!" Declared Laura, "Zhanks to a new Data Package, Odin's Eye, I'm now on par vith your speed!"

"Really?" Said Thomas, writhing from the devastating blows to his head, "Looks like I have to take you serious for once!"

Laura growled.

Was Thomas implying he wasn't trying in their last fight?

Thomas suddenly began to skate circles around Laura, slowly minimizing the radius around her.

Without warning, he stopped right behind her, unleashing a massive gust of wind to his right.

Laura turned around...

...Only to realize Thomas wasn't going to let her breath.

Thomas snatched Laura by the shoulders, and brought down a powerful headbutt as he smashed his forehead against hers.

Laura was disabled by an attack from Thomas's strong skull, and unable to save herself from a combo attack of his own.

Thomas used his thrusters for quicker attacks, suddenly kicking Laura behind her knee, wrapping his arms around her right shoulder, and rolling over her.

The moment his feet touched the ground, he tossed Laura like a football.

"Get bent!" He shouted.

He then deployed a Shotgun, and blasted her relentlessly as she fell to the ground.

Laura jumped back to her feet, her face twisted with rage.

She would not allow Thomas to stand in her way.

Nana, despite her very powerful Geargaia, found she was having big trouble in facing Honne.

"Here I come!" Honne cheered, as she hacked away with the Uchigane's Katana.

Nana panicked and put up a very weak defense.

She did her best not to let Honne break through, but found her efforts were for naught as Honne managed to tower over Nana and push her to the ground.

"I'm not even that good of a pilot, Nana-Nana!" Teased Honne.

Nana felt she was about to wet herself.

Laura brought out her Beam Sabers, and quickly tried cutting Thomas down.

She hacked at Thomas, only to be met with a quick brush from Thomas's Combat Knife.

The two traded blows as the crowd's noises intensified.

Thomas was distracted by the sudden booming, and left himself vulnerable.

Laura quickly overpowered Thomas, forcing him onto his back.

She sat on top of him as she tried to move in such attack in such a manner that would activate the Absolute Defense and disqualify him.

Laura brought her right Beam Saber near Thomas's neck.

However, Thomas shoved it aside and forced Laura off of him with a Left Hook, following up with a shove that dumped Laura on her face, quickly deactivating her Beam Sabers in the process.

Thomas rolled to his feet, and Laura did the same.

For a few moments, Honne was completely distracted by watching Thomas and Laura she forgot she was fighting as well.

Nana closed her eyes and cried as she frantically pulled out whatever gun she could and opened fire upon Honne. In her panicked frenzy, Nana wound up unleashing her entire arsenal upon poor Honne. This sent the girl into a wall, reeling from the explosive offense.

This put Honne already in a critical position.

Laura didn't notice, focusing her attention on Thomas completely.

"I prepared for zhis encounter!" Stated Laura, "I've vatched footage of your fights, studied your every move!"

"Did you now?" Said Thomas, "Then I'll just keep you guessing!"

Thomas suddenly turned around, and flew right for the Arena wall.

With incredible reflexes, Thomas jumped and quickly began to stick onto the Arena dome!

Laura was dumbstruck, but not shaken.

Thomas sent a blitz her way as he skated across the dome.

Laura narrowly dodged, firing her Railgun in retaliation.

Thomas dropped down from the top of the dome to avoid her shots.

The moment Thomas landed, he closed the gap between him and Laura, and began to trade blows with her once more.

Laura quickly brought out her Beam Sabers, since Thomas didn't deploy any of his defensive equipment.

However, she didn't account for Thomas having other techniques.

The moment she went in to jab him, he brushed her with an arm block.

Just as he did, however, he suddenly deployed his Barrier Shield, completely throwing Laura off-balance!

_In the Pit Control Room..._

"What did Scott just do?" Inquired Maya.

"Hey...I remember that!" Said Alex.

"Explain." Said Chifuyu.

"Well," Said Alex, "It's this move he used in an old video game. Essentially, it was to use a shield to block an attack just as it connected, negating the attack and stunning opponents. It's called the 'Just Shield.'"

"The Just Shield, hm?" Repeated Maya, "Interesting. Scott's been practicing on timing deployments with Quantum Conversion to repel opponents' attacks."

"He's mastering techniques like picking up something on impulse buy at a gas station." Observed Chifuyu.

"Then again," Said Alex, "You say that like you didn't see this coming."

_Back in the Arena..._

"Impressive," Said Laura, trying to save her dignity, "But it vill take much more zhan zhat to shock me!"

"Shock, huh? Bet. Charge Level 7!" Said Thomas, activating the Shock Glove.

With a mighty slap, he sent a short electric burst into the Schwarzer Regen, quickly putting the Unit into a seizure.

"Is that what you were looking for?" Taunted Thomas.

Laura growled again as the Schwarzer Regen recovered.

She then proceeded to beat Thomas senseless.

Nana had finally calmed down as she saw Thomas getting thrown all the way across the Arena and into a wall.

Thomas groaned as he tried to recover from Laura's tantrum.

Nana noticed Laura advancing on Thomas.

Scared as she was, she had to stop Laura.

Nana knew she was no match for the German Uber-Soldier, but also understood that she'd be able to buy time for Thomas to get back on his feet.

"Hey!" Nana called timidly, "S-Scary German Girl!"

Laura reared her head with rage as she locked eyes with Nana.

The time seemed to stop as Nana realized what she just did.

Nana couldn't hold it back anymore.

She then realized she wet herself.

"You are nothing more zhan a mere sacrifice to slate my hunger!" Boomed Laura as she lunged for Nana.

Nana screamed in terror as Laura came at her head-on.

She then closed her eyes and began to sob hysterically as she opened fire on Laura.

Laura simply stopped her projectiles with her AIC.

Nana pulled out her Guass Cannon, and fired over and over as soon as the weapon recharged from the previous shot.

Laura found it quite easy to sidestep the attacks as they came.

It didn't take very long for Laura close the distance between her and Nana.

Nana cowered in complete fear as she curled into a ball and bawled hysterically.

Laura didn't really care.

Nana was in her way.

Laura activated the Schwarzer Regen's Panzer Cannon, deploying twin Railguns on both of her shoulders.

Nana looked, and passed out with utter terror as she once again soiled herself.

"Hmph!" Laura grunted as she turned her attention back to Thomas.

The audience was in suspense as they felt the fight was already nearing its end.

Thomas finally emerged from the crater in the wall, getting his bearings quickly.

"Give up!" Said Laura, "I've von!"

"It ain't over till someone's on the mat!" Said Thomas, as he quickly moved further away from the wall, trying to put distance between him and Laura.

_"If I can get Laura away from Nana, I might be able to buy enough time for Nana to get back up."_ Thomas thought, _"However, she just might pass out again. It looks like I'll have to finish this fight myself."_

_In the Pit Control Room..._

"Does Scott have any sort of plan?" Inquired Maya.

"I don't know," Said Chifuyu, "Right now, he seems to be trying to draw Bodewig away from Parker. Technically, Parker's still in the match, since her Unit's Absolute Defense didn't activate, nor did Bodewig shut her down. If Parker can get back into the game in time, she could be able to overwhelm Bodewig with sheer firepower."

"I sense a 'but' coming." Commented Alex.

"But," Responded Chifuyu, "Considering Bodewig's little display of power, Scott is going to have a serious challenge trying to accomplish such a task like holding the line long enough for that to happen."

"Ye of little faith." Smirked Alex, "He's got this in the bag."

_Back in the Arena..._

Thomas was doing everything he could to keep Laura from doing anything.

He was currently drilling her midsection with a rush of cose-quarters gut-punches in an attempt to whittle down her shield.

Laura knocked him away with her Wire Daggers, attempting to restrain and keep Thomas from moving.

She threw him back, and released him.

Thomas stood back up, quickly deploying he left Charged Particle Cannon and charging it as fast as he could.

Laura saw the weapon, and quickly stopped him by swinging a Wire Dagger right across his thigh and into the barrel of the Cannon, causing it to ignite and backfire right into itself. Thomas stumbled to his right as the Wire Dagger yanked him off-balance.

The Charged Particle Cannon imploded, and blew the Wire Dagger right out of the now-smoking barrel of the gun. Thomas could feel the heat of the exploded weapon as smoke trailed from the wreckage.

Thomas stumbled back, and assessed the damage, only to realize Laura had rendered the Cannon utterly useless.

"C'mon...This'll take _forever_ to fix..." He grumbled.

Thomas quickly brought out his right Charged Particle Cannon in retaliation, only to have Laura whip him again across the belly.

The lashing had split open the outer-layer of the new Pilot Uniform.

"Maintenance Girls're gonna have a field day with me after this..." He growled.

Thomas fired the Charged Particle Cannon over and over in an attempt to hit Laura with speed over strength.

Laura used her AIC to block the attacks, and dropped the barrier as they dissipated. Thomas's distraction from the flaming Charged Particle Cannon opened up just enough time for Laura to take advantage.

Laura then deployed all 6 of her Wire Daggers, ensnaring Thomas by his torso, neck, and right arm.

She laughed mercilessly as she threw Thomas around the Arena.

Thomas activated his Shock Glove, and snatched the Wire Daggers with his free hand.

Laura could feel it course right through her as Thomas conducted electricity down the Wire Daggers and into the Schwarzer Regen itself.

"How shocking," Quipped Thomas, "Metal Wire Daggers make for damn fine conductors!"

However, Laura refused to release the Wire Daggers, turning their predicament into a game of chicken.

_"I've got to get her off, but how?" _Thomas pondered.

"Ish something zhe matter? You're pausing!" Laura taunted.

"Y'know," Said Thomas, "This reminds me of _Iron Man 2_ a little..."

Laura flinched in confusion.

Thomas knew what had had to do.

Getting to his feet, Thomas skated on the ground, purposely tangling himself further into the Wire Daggers!

Laura realized only too late what Thomas was trying to do.

The Schwarzer Regen's Wire Daggers were capable of lifting and throwing an IS Unit. However, Thomas was tangling the Wire Daggers up, not as a means of getting closer, but tying the Wire Daggers together in such a manner that would prevent her from controlling them!

Thomas got closer, step-by-step.

Laura deployed and charged her left Railgun, aiming right for Thomas.

Thomas also anticipated such.

Without warning, Thomas tilted to his right to open up his remaining Charged Particle Cannon, and blasted right through the Railgun's barrel, igniting and exploding the barrel and flaring up right in Laura's face!

Laura yelped as she began to clumsily stumble back in pain. However, the Wire Daggers tangled around Thomas caused her to trip and fall on her rear as she writhed with agony, pulling Thomas down to the ground with her.

Thomas shifted, untangling the Wire Daggers as they retracted back to the Schwarzer Regen, allowing him to jump and flip over Laura and avoid falling on top of her.

Thomas backed away to put distance between them as Laura scrambled to her feet.

"Y'know," He suggested, "You can always just back off. Not saying you _would_, but you _should_ and _could_."

"I vill claim victory!"

"I humbly accept your surrender."

"_Was_?" Inquired Laura, looking at Thomas as though he was stupid, "I did not-"

"-I know." Interjected Thomas, "But really? You're just mad 'cause Ichika didn't team up with you!"

"_Jah_!" Answered Laura, "I vill punish my bride for rejecting me!"

"One problem with that," Reminded Thomas, "I'm still standing."

"Tch!" Snarled Laura.

"It probably hasn't occurred to you yet," Explained Thomas, "But this _whole time_, I haven't been going all-out. Really! I haven't used any of my Shifts, nor the Overcharge! So it's kinda embarrassing how much of a hassle this is for you, especially since this is pretty much our rematch!"

"Zhis doesn't count towards zhat!" Denied Laura, "I am fighting you for a different reason!"

"Coulda fooled me."

"Get out of my vay!" Laura demanded as she tried to rush Thomas.

Thomas made a Rapid Switch for one of his Grenade Launchers, and fired at his feet.

Suddenly, Laura's vision was enveloped with smoke!

"Oh yeah," Thomas's voice echoed, "I might've modded my gear with a few parlor tricks..."

Laura growled.

"Come out and fight like a man!" She commanded.

The smoke dissipated, revealing Thomas standing a veritable distance away from Laura.

"Any chance I could convince you to come over here and fight me like a woman?" He taunted.

Everyone remembered full well that Thomas was trying to be nostalgic, as he said such a thing back in his first fight against Laura.

Laura screamed and began to skate right for Thomas.

Thomas made no move whatsoever.

_In the Pit Control Room..._

"He's laid a trap. Right now he's baiting her to walk straight into it." Stated Chifuyu.

"How can you tell?" Inquired Maya.

"Isn't it obvious? Why else would he just stand there?"

"That smart sonuvagun..." Muttered Alex with a smile.

"Well," Commented Chifuyu, "Doesn't that just speak volumes about you?"

"I'd like to think it does."

"He's playing on Bodewig's sheer will to win." Explained Chifuyu, "She doesn't understand how quick Scott really is. Sure, her Data Package, 'Odin's Eye' may allow her to keep up with him in close-quarters, but she doesn't know about his natural talents..."

Maya was left confused.

"What 'natural talents' are you referring to, Ma'am?" Inquired Maya.

"Something his mother passed onto him." Answered Alex.

Neither Chifuyu nor Alex would tell Maya what they meant.

_Back in the Arena..._

Laura skated head-on at Thomas.

Without warning, the ground in front of Laura exploded with dust and concussive force, completely throwing Laura off-guard!

"Vhat?!" She cried.

"Oh yeah..." Smirked Thomas, "I should've mentioned; I've littered the ground with all kinds of nasty little traps, so why don't you ignite those little boosters of your and _fly_ on over to me?"

"Pah! As if I'd fall for zhat!" Sneered Laura, "You've most likely already set up booby traps in zhe air as vell!"

"You've figured me out," Admitted Thomas, "You know me far too well, Laura Bodewig."

Thomas was, in truth, lying right through his teeth.

_"Good, she bought the lie,"_ Thought Thomas, _"I only booby-trapped the ground. The Schwarzer Regen's got good speed as well, so an aerial defense would most likely fail. I don't have enough time, munitions, or power to waste on strategies that may-or-may-not get results. Every little thing matters now."_

Laura deployed her right Railgun, attempting to take Thomas with a high-power shot at mach 7 to finish him before he could see a thing.

Thomas had already caught on.

He fired a barrage of missiles, and quickly brought up his Barrier Shields to block Laura's shot.

The shot bounced off and struck the wall behind Thomas, the shell clattered to the floor.

Laura narrowly brought up her AIC in time to block the oncoming barrage.

The two stared at each other.

Neither moved an inch, as they were both trying to come up with a surefire strategy that would ensure victory.

At the rate things were, the end of the fight would be very far away, if an end came at all.

Laura got an idea.

she suddenly aimed for the ground between them, and fired.

Within seconds, the ground suddenly lit up with a massive chain of explosions! The reaction left a massive cloud of dust in place of the field.

"Fuck." Thomas cursed under his breath.

Laura laughed.

"Vhat's vrong?" She taunted, "Can't keep up?"

Laura then skated through the dust towards Thomas, not giving him any time to answer.

Thomas had to think fast.

He'd modified about 25% of his whole arsenal, but that simply wasn't enough to stand up Laura.

Thomas began to pull back as he quickly began to look through his Weapons List.

"Grenades...Rockets...PDW...Shotgu-"

Thomas froze mid-sentence.

"That's not supposed to be there."

Thomas was looking at a very specific weapon. It wasn't supposed to be in his arsenal, let alone in his IS Unit whatsoever.

Laura nearly got within range to stop Thomas in his tracks with her AIC.

Thomas shook out of his shock and began to think of some sort of way to win.

Laura was trying to match him in terms of close-quarters and processing speed, and for the most part, she'd been able to keep up a little against Thomas's quick thinking and improvisational skills.

Thomas deployed a Rocket Launcher, and fired a tracking rocket at Laura.

Laura stopped in her tracks as she deployed the AIC to block it.

_"That's right!"_ Thought Thomas, _"She can't move while she uses the AIC, making her a sitting duck! But that still means I have to find a way past that barrier while she's using it..."_

Laura quickly dropped the barrier and chased Thomas.

Thomas finally got an idea.

He slowed down, allowing Laura to catch up.

Laura prepared to re-deploy the AIC...

...But Thomas was banking on the fact that she'd do so.

Laura outstretched her hand. Moments before Laura could activated the AIC, Thomas activated the Revive's air-brake flaps, and kicked into the ground, causing him to jump into the air.

Thomas jumped high enough, and Laura went right past him!

She activated the AIC, freezing her in place.

Thomas seized the moment.

With a mighty kick, Thomas hit Laura in the back, and ignited the Revive's thruster, sending Laura flying off her feet and onto her face.

Laura was utterly stunned!

She quickly rolled back onto her feet.

A quick check of the Schwarzer Regen's HUD revealed she'd been carelessly wasting power, dropping her Unit from 800% to a dismal 50% power.

Thomas had done his best to keep himself reserved, and currently had 150% power.

"Damn you..." Laura muttered under her breath.

Thomas Rapid Switched to both of his PDWs, and opened fire upon Laura.

Laura pulled away, knowing that deploying her AIC would end up causing her to lose.

Essentially, anything she did now would most likely end wit her losing.

But Thomas never gave up when the odds looked slim, so she wouldn't either.

Laura rushed Thomas, her fists at the ready.

Thomas recalled his PDWs, and quickly met Laura head-on.

With unprecedented speed, Thomas utterly pulverized Laura with an attack rush straight from his fists!

**"ORA!"** He shouted, his fists blurred as they moved almost too fast to see.

Laura was helplessly juggled in the air as Thomas relentlessly fired away.

Thomas wound up, deploying his Shield Pierce for a finisher.

**"Shield Pierce!"** He shouted, **"Half Release!"**

And with a destructive Haymaker, Thomas sent Laura flying across the Arena.

Laura's shield dropped to 0.

The bell sounded, and the match was over.

Nana was still out cold from fainting.

Honne went to go return the Uchigane.

Laura recalled the Schwarzer Regen, and grumbled.

Thomas stood straight, and let his shoulders drop as he took a long breath.

"That was too close." He muttered to himself.

Thomas left the Arena, quickly scrolling through his arsenal, searching for the one weapon he'd been distracted by minutes before.

_Some time later..._

The Tournament had gone smoothly so far.

Ichika and Thomas had yet to talk to each other since they woke up. Neither of them were really completely ready to apologize for their argument the night before. Neither of the boys had actually seen each other since Ichika left the dorm room in a hurry that morning.

Nana was in the Infirmary as she slept peacefully.

Laura was currently sulking about, saddened by her loss.

Thomas noticed Houki had a very sinister look on her face as she read the match flow chart.

He soon discovered she had the next match against Ichika.

However, it seemed fate had other plans in store.

_In the Pit Control Room..._

"Ma'am!" Cried Maya.

"What is it?"

"We've got multiple IS Unit signatures moving at high speeds, headed right for the Academy!"

"What?!"

"From what we have, it looks to be about 15 signatures!"

"Cancel the Tournament!"

Alex turned to Chifuyu.

"Chifuyu, I can help-"

"No." Interjected Chifuyu, "Your involvement will only complicate things. However, if the situation deteriorates to such a level, you can intervene."

"...Fine." Alex grumbled.

Chifuyu rested a hand on Alex's shoulder.

"Trust me," Said Chifuyu, "They can handle this."

Alex looked out the window, his eyes scanning the sky.

He then saw gradually increasing dots.

"Good luck, son." He whispered to himself.

* * *

**A/N: And done! This chapter was actually a bit earlier than my usual release schedule, but I hope it's worth it! Anyway, this one's a bit of a two-parter, since the next chapter is something of a rendition of Infinite Stratos 2, Episode 9.**

**I'll get started on that as soon as I release this!**

**But what unique weapon could Thomas have discovered in his arsenal? That's going to be revealed next chapter!**

**Anyway, I'm starting to draft the Halloween Special Chapter as well, so here's to hoping it works out well too!**

**In upcoming chapters, Phantom Task's going to attempt yet another abduction attempt on Thomas! However, how that all will go down will be revealed in time. I'll also create a profile for Kana's IS Unit as well.**

**There's so much I'm looking forward to in the next few chapters, I hope you are too!**

**Next Time: Back to Back, Shoulder to Shoulder.**

**A group of unknown IS Units have attacked out-of-nowhere!**

**The Representative Candidates must work together if they hope to stop the attack. But with all the confusion and danger around them, Thomas and Ichika quickly find themselves cut off from the others!**

**Can the two friends bury the hatchet, and work together?**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	23. Back to Back, Shoulder to Shoulder

**Alrightie! I did my best to work as quickly as possible on this as I could, and polish it off enough to make sure it was worthy of release! Hope you enjoy!**

**As of now, I just introduced the Golem III Units featured in Season 2 of the anime.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**A group of unknown IS-Units attack the IS Academy out-of-nowhere!**

**But what could their motives be?**

**Whatever the case, the Representative Candidates must work together to defend the Academy from the attack. And, for Thomas and Ichika, the latter is easier said than done!**

**However, the two of them quickly find themselves cut off from the others!**

**Can they bury the hatchet and work together?**

* * *

It happened in an instant.

One moment, Ichika was running around the halls of the IS Academy, frantically searching for Kanzashi...

...The next, he heard a massive explosion as he looked out the window to see one of the Arenas had a trail of smoke emerging from it.

And that was all it took for Ichika to deploy the Byakushki and take flight for the scene.

Thomas was in the Workshop, trying to finish repairing the Revive from his fight against Laura, and had yet to hear the alarms.

Everyone else was either evacuating, or deploying to prepare for combat.

"Miss Orimura!" Called Ichika, "What's going on?!"

"_We've got multiple contacts. They appear to be advanced versions of the IS that attacked the school before the summer. For now, we'll call them Golem Units. There are 15 of them, see what you can do to keep the situation from deteriorating. It would appear they're specifically targeting students with Personal IS Units, so you shouldn't have to worry about trying to get their attention._" Said Chifuyu over the coms.

"Roger, Ma'am!" Ichika said.

"_One more thing,_" Said Chifuyu, "_Locate Scott if you can. He has the firepower to push them back, securing him is vital. Make sure the situation is contained, and bring him so he can assist._"

"But-!"

"_I already know about you two having a fight, it doesn't matter right now. __Think of it this way,_" Interrupted Chifuyu, "_If you don't find him, he'll come find you._"

Ichika could only pray Chifuyu was right.

* * *

_In Arena 1..._

Lingyin was currently opening fire upon a Golem...

...Only to have shots blocked by a shield protruding from the Golem's wings.

"What's up with this thing?!" Lingyin muttered to herself.

"Lingyin!" Called Elias, "Allow me to deal with this one!"

Elias deployed his Barrier Shield as he tried to ram the Golem head-on.

The Golem suddenly jumped over Elias, and sent him on the ground as it dropped right on his head. The Golem leapt off of Elias as it paused, waiting for the next attack the students would send its way. Elias grunted and lay face down on the ground, writhing from the jarring blow to his head.

"Elias!" Cried Cecelia, before relentlessly opening fire upon the Golem.

"How dare you?!" She threatened, deploying her Optical Drones to further attack the enemy.

The Golem spun in place, and quickly skated as it flawlessly evaded the Optical Drones.

"That movement..." Observed Lingyin, "It's kinda familiar..."

An Optical Drone tried to blast the Golem from behind...

...Only to have the Golem jump and spin like an acrobat as it dodged.

The Golem landed on one foot, spun back around, and smashed the Optical Drone with its bigger fist.

"I've seen that before!" Realized Lingyin.

"What do you mean?!" Inquired Cecelia.

"It's copying Thomas!"

"Now that you mention it...It does seem to have adopted Thomas's...elastic movements."

"But how?"

"We'll focus on that later," Suggested Cecelia, "Right now, we need to help Elias!"

_In Arena 2..._

Laura and Charlotte were fairing no better.

"Get behind me, Laura!" Cried Charlotte as she deployed an Energy Barrier, narrowly being blown away by the Golem's blast.

"Charlotte?!" Cried Laura.

"We need to work together!"

"But-"

"Come, Laura, you can work with others!"

"..._Jah_!" Agreed Laura as she did her best not to distract Charlotte.

Laura activated both of her Beam Sabers, and rushed the Golem.

The Golem brought out a Wrist Blade, and single-handedly each of Laura's attacks.

Laura aimed for the Golem's head, only to have it vanish from her view.

The Golem stood up behind Laura, facing away from her.

It then brought its arm around her neck, and threw her to the floor as it clotheslined Laura.

Charlotte opened fire upon the Golem, trying to get its attention.

However, the Golem brought up its larger arm to block the oncoming barrage. The Golem grabbed Laura, and clobbered Charlotte with her body as it held her ankles, swinging her like a baseball bat.

With a single spin, the Golem threw Laura at the fallen Charlotte.

Laura crashed onto Charlotte, and the two of them grunted as their bodies hit each other.

_In Arena 5..._

Houki was currently attempting to somehow hack a Golem out of the air.

She moved all around the Golem, swinging wildly at it with her Katanas.

However, the Golem seemed to predict her every move, delivering a powerful counter to Houki each time she came in for an attack of her own.

Houki swung again, only to have the Golem jump over her and deliver a dropkick to her back.

"What the hell?!" Grunted Houki in confusion.

Houki turned back around to face the Golem, only to be put in an underarm headlock. She didn't have to escape, as the Golem sent her to the ground with a mighty uppercut from its free hand to her chin.

_"Those moves...It's copying Thomas!"_ Houki realized.

"I got it! Take this!" Shouted Tatenashi as she jammed the Mysterious Lady's Lance right into the Golem.

The Golem didn't see Tatenashi coming, and was caught off-guard!

However, the most Tatenashi was able to do was simply give the Golem a love tap.

"Damn...This thing's really hard." She whined.

Tatenashi then got an idea.

"Houki!" She called, "Unfold your Rear Armor, and give me a push!"

"Right!"

The Akatsubaki's wings became thinner as they expanded, glowing with a pink energy. Houki flew in, grasping Tatenashi by her sides, and began to throttle the Akatsubaki as she pushed Tatenashi forward.

Together, they began to ram and push the Golem towards the Arena's dome.

The Golem was unable to push away.

With a mighty clang, the Golem was firmly trapped between Tatenashi's lance piercing its front, and the Arena's Dome against its back!

As much as it tried, the Golem couldn't push back against the power behind Tatenashi and Houki's combined attack.

"What now?!" Cried Houki.

"We need to bust right through this thing's armor!"

"What?!"

"Take this, you cheap Tommy Knock-Off!" Shouted Tatenashi as she fired away with the Lance's 4-Barrel Gatling gun.

Suddenly, the Mysterious Lady's water-wings vanished, as Tatenashi jammed four crystals into the Golem's torso.

"What're you doing now?!" Questioned Houki.

"Houki," Ordered Tatenashi, "Put everything the Akatsubaki's got into Defense, or you'll get hurt!"

Houki rerouted power into the Akatsubaki's shields, hoping Tatenashi knew what she was doing.

"Now what?"

"Pull away, or you'll get sucked in!"

"But you-"

"It's fine!" Tatenashi assured Houki, "I'm immortal, y'know!"

Houki began to fly away, only to realize why Tatenashi ordered her to do so.

What Tatenashi was doing, she generated a vortex, sucking in the air and anything nearby!

Houki gunned the Akatsubaki as hard as she could, slowly escaping the vortex.

**"MISTILTEINN SPEAR!"** Tatenashi boomed as she and the Golem were caught in a massive fireball explosion.

The Akatsubaki, carried by both its already high acceleration, and the shock of the explosion, was blown clear.

However, Houki was moving too fast, and made a very hard crash into the opposite wall of the Arena.

Tatenashi laid in the rubble, out of breath and utterly exhausted.

Houki laid in a heap in the Akatsubaki, concussed.

_In the Arena 3 Pit..._

Kanzashi cowered in fear.

A massive, 4-armed IS was towering over her.

"Please..." She sobbed, "Don't..."

The IS reached for her.

"Somebody! Please!"

The IS began to wrap its hands around Kanzashi.

"ORIMURA!" She screamed in desperation.

As if on cue, Ichika bust right through the Pit wall with the Yukihira Nagata, drawing the IS Unit's attention. Closing the distance, Ichika quickly placed himself between the IS and Kanzashi.

Kanzashi was enthralled. It was as though Ichika had become an anime hero, who'd dash in to save the day just when all hope seemed lost!

"C'mon!" Called Ichika, "Deploy your IS, I can't do this myself!"

"R-Right!" Kanzashi stuttered as she stood up.

**"Uchigane Nishiki!"**

In a flash of light, Kanzashi's Unit materialized.

As much as the sight was impressive, Ichika had other things to worry about.

"Damn...This thing's strong..." He grunted.

Kanzashi, despite her utter terror, finally gained the resolve to stand alongside Ichika!

"I..." She declared, "...Wish I had the strength to fight by your side!"

"Good to hear!" Responded Ichika, "Now help me out would'ya?"

Kanzashi deployed her Unit's Naginata, and began to help Ichika push the Golem outside of the Pit and into the Arena.

By the time they got the Golem outside, 11 of the 15 Golems were waiting for them!

"Oh crap..." Ichika whimpered.

Nana was on the field, doing her best not to pass out again as she frantically opened fire upon the 11 Units.

"Help me, dammit!" She screamed.

"We have to get Nana out of there!" Said Ichika, as he and Kanzashi raced to Nana's aid.

"Where's Thomas?" Demanded Nana as Ichika and Kanzashi arrived.

"I don't know!"

"Fuck! That's bad! There could be a ton more of these things on him!"

"We need to focus on ourselves! We'll find Thomas as soon as we handle things here!"

"Aren't you the kind of guy that would do things to reverse?"

"We had a fight. Thomas might not be in the mood to see my face."

"Goddammit! What is it with Thomas and arguing with people from his childhood?!"

"Hell if I know!"

The Golems kept peppering the trio with ranged attacks. Nana and Kanzashi weren't very good at aiming, making them almost entirely helpless! The three students found themselves overwhelmed as the Golems closed in.

But what was taking Thomas so long to show up?

* * *

_In the Workshop..._

Thomas had finally finished repairing the damage Laura had done to the Revive.

His new Pilot Uniform still had all the damages, since Thomas really wasn't good at mending clothes.

Thomas took yet another look through his Weapons List on the Revive, still dubious about a certain weapon in his arsenal.

"Doesn't make sense..." He muttered, "When did that get there? And why didn't I see it before?"

He heard clattering behind him.

Thomas turned around...

...Only to find himself face-to-face with Tabane Shinonono.

"Tabane!?" He yelped as he stumbled back.

"That's ri~ight Tommy-Kun!" Cheered Tabane.

"What-How-Why-What the hell're you doing here?! How are you even here?!"

"Do I need an excuse to spend time with one of Houki Pouki's friends?"

"But..."

"So," Tabane cut right to the chase, "I see you finally figured out your Revive's third ability."

"I did?"

"So clueless! So cute!" Teased Tabane, "Why else would _that_ be in your arsenal? To answer your other question, it only recently came up in the list since it's a 4th Generation item, so the Revive had to take longer to finish duplicating and assimilating the data."

"Oh..."

"By the way," Said Tabane, "You oughta pay more attention to your surroundings! I've been calling you like crazy for the last five minutes!"

"Why would you-"

"-Because 15 Golem III IS Units I built are currently attack the other 1st Year Representative Candidates."

"WHAT?!"

"You better get going."

"But why-"

"-Because I set them loose so I could get more data for some pet projects of mine."

Tabane suddenly turned around.

"Toodles!" She cheered before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Thomas flinched.

He had absolutely no clue what just happened, other than he needed to find the others. Thomas put his Revive back in Standby Mode, and put the pendant around his neck as he raced out of the workshop.

Tabane didn't do things by halves.

He had a lot of explaining after everything was over.

* * *

_In Arena 3..._

"They're closing in!" Cried Kanzashi.

"This might be it for us, guys." Said Nana.

"We're not done yet!" Said Ichika, trying to reassure the other students.

"I wish I could told Thomas before..." Said Nana.

The Golems began to pile on top of the trio, restraining the children with sheer weight.

"Damn!" Cried Ichika, "These things're heavy!"

Things were bleak for the students.

Laura and Charlotte were pinned down.

Houki and Tatenashi were still reeling from the aftermath of their encounter.

Lingyin and Cecelia were trying to keep the Golem from taking them out with Elias.

And there was still 14 remaining Golems to deal with.

From the gaps in the Golems' pile-up, Ichika could see a silhouette casting a shadow over the Arena.

With a massive boom, the silhouette blew its way right through the Arena's dome, and entered.

Suddenly, the Golems all got up off the students.

**"Primary Target Acquired."** They boomed in unison.

One Golem raced up to the figure, only to be cleaved in two.

The figure finally moved out of the direct sunlight, revealing to be none other than Thomas...

...Holding the Yukihira Nagata.

"Thomas?!" Ichika cried in confusion.

"Sorry I'm late," Apologized Thomas, "Nobody told me we were doing a thing. Again. Seriously, why do you guys think it's okay to just not tell me when we go fight a bunch of robots? This is the second time, man! I wanna fight robots too!"

"What're you doing with the Yukihira?!"

"Oh yeah. About that: I found it in my Weapons List during my fight with Laura. Turns out my Revive's third ability is that it can duplicate stuff from other IS Units, apparently."

"That's amazing!" Said Ichika, completely forgetting their current predicament.

"Listen," Said Thomas, "I'm...Sorry for being a right pain in the ass."

"Don't waste your breath," Affirmed Ichika, "I stopped being mad at you a while ago."

"It's just...Everything in my life wasn't what I thought it was."

"I get it. It's hard, and it gets you mad, don't it?"

"Yeah-"

The boys were cut off as a bolt of energy flew right past them.

"Oh right," Said Thomas, "Almost forgot about those things. Fuck you, stupid drones! We were having a moment!"

"Good thing you came when you did! Have any ideas?"

"Just one."

"_Nigerundayo_?"

"Sort of. I felt it was best to lay off the _Jojo_ References for a while, so let's call this...Running Interference."

"What're we doing?"

"If you wanna tag along, we're gonna draw those Units away from everyone else, and bring somewhere we can let loose."

"Arena 4!"

"What?"

"Arena 4's empty," Explained Ichika, "If we can lead them there, we'll be able to do whatever!"

"Good idea. Let's roll!"

Thomas and Ichika took off and flew the way Thomas came in.

This, in turn, drew the attention of the remaining Golem Units that weren't engaged with other Representative Candidates.

As Thomas and Ichika flew away, Thomas did his best to try and further patch things up.

"About all that nasty stuff...I said some things, and...Things've changed since then. I just wanted to say it, and mean that I'm sorry about all that stuff, about everything-"

"I said don't waste your breath." Said Ichika, "You n' I have been friends too long to need that sort of stuff. Besides, we were both pretty hotheaded that time, so we're both to blame, really."

"...Thanks."

"Jus' trying to be a good friend." Smiled Ichika, "Although, it'd certainly help if you were more open with everyone. I know you keep saying you know, but you seem to forget that you're not alone anymore."

"In that case," Said Thomas, "I'll tell you about it later, but I found a name that you might be interested in."

"Really? What name?"

"_After_, Ichika. Right now, let's finish up here."

The Golem Units were greatly lagging behind, but they were still chasing the boys.

"Good. We have enough time to set up shop." Observed Thomas.

Thomas opened up his Missile Racks, and blew a hole in Arena 4's dome.

"D'you really have to do that?" Complained Ichika.

"Well," Said Thomas, "Yes, but actually, no."

"Good to see you back to normal." Congratulated Ichika, "I was getting tired of the paranoid weenie!"

"I'll get you back when we're done here."

The boys laughed as they landed inside the Arena.

"Alright." Said Ichika, "Considering we have about 11 IS Units on us, I think it's best that you stand over there."

Ichika pointed to one end of the Arena.

"What?" Questioned Thomas, "Dude, I'm the frigging tank between us. I need to be in the center. You stand over there, and I'll draw fire while you whack 'em one-by-one."

"Wait. Those things're as tough as us, that'd take too long."

"You're right...Wait!"

"What?"

"Your Barrier Void!"

"What about it?"

Thomas suddenly began to interface with the Revive's systems, much to Ichika's confusion.

"If we can amplify it, we can shut down their all shields and just straight-up smash 'em!"

"What're you-"

"Just as I thought, it looks like the Revive borrowed more than the Yukihira," Thomas said, showing the interface to Ichika, "looks like it copied the Barrier Void too."

"What?!"

"I don't know what's going on either," Said Thomas, "But we're too busy to get confused and freak out about it now. We need to take this as it comes and work with it."

"Uh...Right."

"Hang on...Got it!" Thomas cheered as he finally disengaged the interface, "Short-range though, we'll need to get close for it to work."

"How close?"

"Very, very uncomfortably close."

Ichika looked out the dome.

"In a hot second," He said, pointing to the sky, "That's gonna cease to be a problem."

Sure enough, the Golems had finally caught up with the boys, as the Units all flooded through the hole Thomas blasted, and surrounded the boys.

Thomas and Ichika were back to back.

"Ready?" Said Ichika.

"Let's hope this works." Said Thomas.

Thomas activated the Barrier Void.

"Here goes everything!"

Suddenly, the Arena was flooded with an expanding electrical field. The Golems went through a small seizure, whereas Thomas and Ichika deployed their weapons. Ichika deployed the Yukihira, and Thomas deployed both PDWs.

"Now! While they're stunned!" Shouted Thomas, "BLOW THE SUCKERS AWAY!

Thomas and Ichika went on the attack as the Golems recovered.

Ichika jumped into the air, and landed with one foot on Thomas's right fist.

Thomas threw a Right Hook, and sent Ichika right into an enemy Golem. Ichika impaled the IS, and threw it into another, and fired his Charged Particle Cannon into a third in one swift motion.

"11!" He called.

Thomas switched his left PDW for his Yukihira, and recalled his right PDW.

He then unleashed a devastating series of fatal attacks.

Thomas cleaved one Golem in two at its waist, and snagged the legs with his free hand. He then threw the legs into another Golem as he spun around and slashed the first Golem's head clean of its shoulders.

"10!"

Thomas and Ichika slashed right through a Golem from the back and front, making an X with its torso.

"9!" They called in unison.

Thomas dropkicked a Golem, sending it crashing into three more. He raced over to another, and delivered a kick that sent the Golem into the air.

Ichika lunged, and cleaved the Golem in two length-ways.

"8!"

Thomas deployed a PDW, and fired away into another Golem's head.

By the time he was done, the Golem dropped to its knees and fell flat on its holey face.

"7!"

Ichika found himself a little overwhelmed, and beginning to run low on power.

"We got a problem!"

"Just hold out!"

"I can't! I'm almost out!"

"Already?! Wait-Same!"

"WHAT?!"

"Hang on, I'm gonna pull an Overcharge!"

Thomas quickly made space for himself as he glowed, quickly restoring his power. Thomas zipped over to Ichika, and snatched his hand, allowing surplus energy to recharge the Byakushki as well.

Thomas then threw Ichika by his wrist, sending his partner into another Golem.

Ichika smashed the Golem to the floor, and stabbed it right through the head.

"6!"

The boys moved like no-one had ever seen.

* * *

_In the Pit Control Room..._

"Calm down, Alex." Affirmed Chifuyu.

"I can't take it, sitting on my hands like this."

"I know, but we both know how intervening now is going to end, and it won't be pretty. Those two boys can handle themselves."

Alex watched the monitor footage as he witnessed Thomas and Ichika fighting together with incredible teamwork.

"They remind me of Ellen and you back in the day..."

"Don't they? Even after they were in an argument."

"Just goes to show," Said Alex, "Those boys have a bond tougher than steel."

* * *

_Back in Arena 4..._

"5!" Thomas called.

Ichika chuckled.

This made for good sporting and bonding between the two boys, somehow.

Thomas quickly pulverized another Golem with a 4-Box combo to the body, and sent it towards Ichika with a standing kick.

Ichika jumped and rolled through the air.

He split the Golem down the middle as he rolled, and landed perfectly on the ground.

"4! Lemme return the favor!"

Ichika impaled one of the remaining Golems, and with a flick of his wrists and 180 spin, he sent the Golem flying towards Thomas.

Thomas impaled the Golem's head with his Shield Pierce, quickly disconnecting the weapon from its mount on his wrist, quickly snatching the Shield Pierce by a manual grip on the back.

Thomas began to spin around and around, like a helicopter, and clobbered one of the two remaining Golems with its teammate. Thomas let go as the blow connected, and quickly retrieved his Shield Pierce as the Golems hit the ground.

"2!"

Thomas pulled out his Yukihira Nagata, and cut down the trapped Golem.

"Scratch that," He said, "Make that 1!"

Thomas and Ichika both turned to see the final Golem staring them down.

They made very sinister and naughty smiles.

"You want this one?" Offered Thomas.

"You first," Returned Ichika, "I insist."

"Well," Suggested Thomas, "How about we take this one down together?"

"That'd be swell."

Thomas and Ichika prepared to charge the Golem head-on.

However, the Golem got the drop on them.

Quickly, it fired at them.

Thomas and Ichika easily dodged, but the Golem didn't seem to care.

The Golem suddenly spread its arms, and emitted a high-pitch screech as the other Golems began to vibrate and shake uncontrollably. Dismembered components and random pieces suddenly began to fly right for the last Golem like metal drawn to a magnet.

Thomas and Ichika pulled away as they watched the display.

"What's going on?!" Ichika cried in confusion.

"I think..." Started Thomas.

The Golem was encased in the parts of its fellow Units, and began to shift and form into one, massive Golem.

"...It just went _Gattai_ Mega-Golem on our asses."

The massive Golem began to break in its new form, and glared down upon the two boys with its faceless visor.

"Why do I hear boss music playing?" Whimpered Ichika.

With a single swing, the "Mega-Golem" sent Thomas and Ichika flying into the Arena wall with a mighty slap.

"That's not fair..." Grunted Ichika.

"Aw shit," Groaned Thomas, "Here we go again."

* * *

_In Arena 3..._

Thomas and Ichika drew away all but one of the Golem Units.

"C'mon, Kanzashi!" Commanded Nana, "On your feet!"

"What happened to you being scared?"

"There's a time to be scared and a time to fight because people are at risk! Damn straight I'm scared, but I can't let it get to me now!"

"R...Right!" Kanzashi agreed as she tried to be as old and brave as Nana was currently.

The only thing keeping Nana from wetting herself again was the thought of Thomas in danger.

Nana deployed her Gauss Cannon, and blasted right through the Golem's shield.

However, the Golem was still able to fight!

The Golem ripped the Gauss Cannon right out of Nana's hands, and threw it aside as it mercilessly tore into her. The IS began to pummel her senseless with techniques and movements only Thomas would use.

_"When did this thing start copying Thomas?"_ She tried to recompose herself as she tried to jump out of range.

The Golem's shoulder-mounted weapon charged up as Nana jumped back.

Nana saw it as an opening.

She deployed her Barrier Shield's Pile Bunker, and jammed it right into the weapon's barrel before it went off. This resulted in an explosion that blew apart the Pile Bunker, and the Golem's arm.

Nana grunted and writhed as the flare of heat blew into her face.

Kanzashi opened up with her Particle Cannons, pushing back the disabled Golem. Kanzashi then pulled out her Naginata, and hacked away at the Golem in the hopes of somehow breaking it apart with sheer brute force.

However, the Golem still had one good arm left.

The Golem snatched her Naginata, and used it to support itself as it swung over the weapon and kicked Kanzashi right in the head.

Kanzashi fell like a brick, hitting the ground hard.

Nana finally recovered from her self-destructive attack, and pulled out her Vulcan Cannon.

She opened fire, pelting the Golem as she began to chew through its armor plating. The Golem recoiled, unable to withstand the impact of all the bullets blowing the Unit away.

"I got an idea!" Said Nana, "If we can hit the Core, we can shut this fucker down!"

"Right!"

Nana began to jerk her wrist, trailing her line of fire all over the Golem's body in an attempt to narrow down the Golem's Core.

By sheer chance, Nana shredded the armor plating concealing the Golem's Core.

"Hit it," Ordered Nana, "Now!"

Kanzashi thrust her Naginata at the Core...

...Only to have the Golem quickly wrap its arm around the weapon, and flip Kanzashi overhead and right onto the ground.

Nana quickly skated and picked up Kanzashi as they pulled back.

"Damn," Said Nana, "This things smarter than it looks!"

"If it picked up Scott's combat skill," Suggested Kanzashi, "Perhaps its programmed to not only move like him, but compute and think like him as well."

"Well crap." Groaned Nana.

"But," Perked up Kanzashi, "Maybe we can test just how good this thing is at a no-win situation."

"Like what?"

"Well," Kanzashi concluded, "Let's see how much it can process at once."

Nana finally caught on, and nodded with a grin.

Kanzashi and Nana split up.

Kanzashi readied her Missile Launchers.

Nana opened up her Missile Pods.

When the two of them were on opposite sides of the Golem, they fired all of their missiles in one, big burst. The Golem was unable to counter an attack from all sides, and was caught right in the center of the missile barrage.

When the smoke cleared, the only thing left was a crippled, beaten, and almost destroyed IS Unit.

However, the Golem wasn't beaten yet.

The Golem slowly and weakly began to get up off of the ground...

...Only to be stabbed right through the Core by Kanzashi's Naginata.

The Golem dropped right back to the ground, dead in the water.

Nana and Kanzashi laughed cheerfully, and high-fived.

_In Arena 1..._

Cecelia pelted the Golem with her Optical Drones, and pushed the Unit backwards.

Lingyin popped up behind it, and fired away into the Golem's back, sending back towards Cecelia.

They went back and forth, and took sport from it.

"Man, this thing's nowhere near Thomas's level!" Sneered Lingyin, "Don't know why we were so worried!"

"I do say," Teased Cecelia, "This makes for good fun, like how commoner boys play catch!"

"Ooh!" Suggested Lingyin, "Elias, wanna dust this off for us?"

"It would be my utmost pleasure, dear Lingyin!" Elias said, deploying his Thermal Claymore.

"Sweet Elias!" Called Cecelia, "Have a go!"

Lingyin sent the Golem to Cecelia.

Cecelia unleashed a powerful counter-clockwise Standing Kick to the Golem's head, and sent it tumbling over to Elias.

Elias smiled.

The Golem was face-to-face with Elias, as though it were looking to Elias for mercy.

Elias simply swung upward, using his entire upper-body strength as he grasped the Claymore with both hands.

And with a mighty swing, Elias cleaved the Golem in two!

"Nice one!" Congratulated Lingyin.

"How knightly!" Cheered Cecelia, racing up to Elias and pulling him into a hug, "You're my wonderful knightly prince!"

Elias was too flustered by Cecelia's boldness to respond, his cheeks flushed red. Cecelia nuzzled against Elias's chest, further flustering Elias like a doting mother pampering a child.

Lingyin wanted to, but couldn't find it within her to break them up.

The sight was simply too adorable to interrupt.

_In Arena 2..._

"Now!" Charlotte shouted, smashing the Golem right in the head with a Uppercut.

The Golem stumbled back...

...Falling right into Laura's crosshairs.

"DIE!" Shouted Laura as she fired both of her Railguns, blasting and sending the Golem flying.

The Golem rolled into a heap.

Suddenly, it rolled right back onto its feet!

The Golem peppered Laura with light shots, and quickly zipped over to Charlotte.

It reached for Charlotte...

...Only to be stopped in its tracks by Laura's Wire Daggers!

Charlotte smirked, and fired missiles into the Golem at point-blank. The Unit was sent flying back, and fell into range of Laura's AIC. Laura sneered as she once again fired both of her Railguns into the Golem.

Charlotte brought out her Combat Knife, and Laura brought out her Beam Saber.

Charlotte stabbed the Golem in the head, and Laura impaled it through the back.

The attack ripped the top of the Golem's head off, and Laura drove the Golem right into the floor.

The two finally noticed that the Golem's Core was exposed.

The Golem was still struggling.

The girls thought it was utterly pitiful to watch, and decided to put the unmanned IS Unit out of its misery.

Charlotte rammed her Shield Pierce with all of her might into the Golem's exposed Core, and deactivated it. She disconnected the Shield Pierce from her arm, letting it rest with its head buried firmly into the Golem.

The girls chuckled, and exchanged a high-five in victory.

* * *

_In Arena 4..._

Ichika and Thomas weren't as lucky as the other Representative Candidates.

The Mega-Golem had them cornered.

Something was blocking their ability to call for help, making retreat or reinforcements impossible.

"We got bad news, dude." Panicked Thomas, "I'm outta guns, ammo, and ideas!"

"Crap..." Ichika muttered.

The Mega-Golem charged up multiple Particle Cannons, and fired away.

Thomas brought up his Barrier Shields and did his best to cover himself and Ichika as the Mega-Golem fired away. However, the sheer size and power of the attack overwhelmed Thomas, and the two boys yet again crashed hard into the Arena wall.

Ichika recovered first, quickly flying around the Mega-Golem and firing away with his Charged-Particle Cannon in the hopes of hitting a weak or blind spot.

However, the Golem retaliated by snatching Ichika right out of the air, and throwing him around like a child playing with a doll.

Ichika hit the ground headfirst, and slid to a stop face-down.

Thomas got back up, and drew the Mega-Golem's attention away from Ichika.

Thomas fired away with both PDWs, knowing the bullets had no effect whatsoever on the massive mechanical behemoth.

"We need to blow it apar-?!" Thomas was cut short as he took another swing from the Mega-Golem.

"How're we gonna do that?!" Cried Ichika, "I've got nothing, you've got nothing-we're fucked, man!"

Thomas began to think quickly.

What did they have left? Thomas was all out of any explosive weaponry, and Ichika didn't have any explosive weapons.

_"The only thing we could possibly do is-Wait..."_ Thomas thought.

"That's it!" He cheered.

"What's it?"

"Remember? Back in our first practice after summer vacation?"

"Yeah?"

"We connected our Particle Cannons, and that implosion happened?"

"What're we gonna-Oh I get it!"

"Take its right, I got the left!"

Thomas and Ichika took their positions, doing whatever they could to keep a lock on each other while evading the Mega-Golem's devastating attacks.

They charged their Particle Cannons to maximum output, and fired.

It was one in a million that they hit their target.

The Particle Cannon beams connected with each other, right in front of the Mega-Golem's chest.

With a massive boom, the Mega-Golem blew apart like shattered glass, exposing the last Golem Unit.

"Look!" Pointed Ichika.

"You know what to do!" Thomas said, deploying his Yukihira Nagata.

"I like the way you think!" Complimented Ichika, doing the same.

Suddenly, the boys began to glow with a golden aura.

**"Double Reiraku Byakuya!" **They shouted in unison.

The boys flew right for the last Golem...

...And phased right through each other unharmed as they slashed the Golem in one, decisive, all-out attack.

The amalgamation of Golem Units crumbled apart into a pile.

Thomas and Ichika both slumped and took a knee.

The two boys turned to look at each other, and began to laugh victoriously.

* * *

_In the Pit Control Room..._

Alex sighed with relief.

"See?" Said Chifuyu, "They handled it."

"Doesn't stop me from worrying though."

"Although," Observed Maya, "I'm concerned. It seems that somehow the Revive was able to duplicate the Byakushki's Yukihira Nagata, as well as the Byakushki's abilities, and use them itself."

"The Revive's third ability..." Muttered Chifuyu.

"But what happened at the end there?" Pointed Alex, "Something was off about that double-attack they did."

"We'll figure it out later," Concluded Chifuyu, "Right now, I think the students have deserved a little rest."

* * *

_Later that night..._

"Totally forgot about the Boys' Bath..." Thomas sighed as he sat in the steamy water.

"Quite the place to relax..." Sighed Elias.

"That," Agreed Ichika, "And we're able to let loose without the girls around."

"Beef jerky for the win, boys!" Thomas cheered.

Very confused by the statement, the boys laughed at Thomas's random words.

"Although," Elias's face sobered, "We should talk about what happened today."

"With Thomas having the Yukihira? Or the IS Units?" Inquired Ichika.

"Either works for me."

"Well," Theorized Thomas, "Tabane's behind it."

"WHAT?!" The other boys cried in unison.

"In fact, Tabane came and told me about it."

"She did?!"

"I'll tell Chifuyu when he head back, but for now..."

Thomas slumped and made a relaxed sigh.

"...Let's take a chill pill."

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

Tabane sat down, looking at a holographic screen as she watched the footage of Thomas and Ichika.

"Interesting..." She giggled, "I always wondered what would happen if two Reiraku Byakuyas went off at the same time and place."

She paused the footage at the moment Thomas and Ichika slashed through the last Golem.

"I wonder what happened there...I know! I'll just get them to do it again somehow!"

Tabane then began to brainstorm.

"How am I going to get them to do it again? Eh, I think of it later!"

Tabane stopped.

"Well," She sighed to herself, "Opportunities for this sort of stuff have a tendency to magically appear..."

It would only be a matter of time before a chance would present itself.

* * *

**A/N: Done! At first, I was struggling to draw out the length of the chapter, but as time went on, it was actually quite easy to make the chapter a normal-length chapter.**

**Although I was planning on revealing it later, I just hinted at something that will come back up again in the next few chapters...****Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

**I'm still trying to draft Kana's IS Unit, so I'll confirm what it is later.**

**In other news, I'm drafting up a concept for a _Gundam_ story, let me know what you think!**

**But, with all the stuff that's been happening, I think it's time I took a small break on this story. After all, in 1 or 2 more chapters, it'll be the end of "Season 1" of American Idiot, essentially.**

**But all of that comes later, here's what's next!**

**Next Time: Doot Doot.**

**It's Halloween! The time for spooks, scares, and Trick-Or-Treating! And best of all, the IS Academy is participating in a day-long celebration with a Halloween party!**

**For some of the girls, it'll be their very first time! With all kinds of costumes and activities, the Halloween Party is sure to be good, spooky fun for the gang as they play the day away!**

**However...Something's wrong.**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated, and show that you care!**


	24. Laura's First Halloween

**It's time for a spooky story! Although I was planning on one Halloween Chapter, after I looked at some stuff I wanted to do, I settled for two Halloween Chapters, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**It's almost time for Halloween! The time for spooks, scares, doot doots, and Trick-Or-Treating! And, best of all, the entire IS Academy is participating in a day-long celebration with a Halloween Party!**

**However, Laura doesn't know what Halloween is!**

**Scared by even the most innocuous jokes, Laura decides to test her courage by watching a Scary Movie!**

**Watch as the stoic German Uber-Soldier discovers that Halloween might not be as scary as it seems...**

* * *

Everyone knew something was going on.

The entire IS Academy was decorating for Halloween!

It was, in fact, the day before Halloween, as all of the students and faculty were decorating and preparing for the next day's festivities. In fact, the IS Academy was taking a few days off to set up for a Halloween Party, and clean up after.

Laura was in utter confusion.

"Ichika," She asked calmly, "Vhat ish happening? Vhat ish all of zhis?"

"Hm?" Ichika realized, "Oh, it's Halloween! Guess they didn't have that stuff in the German military..."

"Vhat ish Halloveen?"

"I can answer that," Interjected Thomas, "Originally, the idea was that during this time of year, the barriers between the real and the spiritual world got dangerously thin, allowing evil spirits to enter the world and wreak havoc. However, it was common for people to throw parties with scary costumes and carved pumpkins to scare those evil spirits away, eventually picking up things like going door-to-door and Trick-or-Treating. It was originally Celtic if I remember..."

"_Ja wirklich_?" Asked Laura.

"Although," Said Thomas, "You also oughta be careful around this time of year..."

"_Was_?"

Ichika tip-toed behind Laura, getting closer as she was distracted.

"Y'see," Thomas continued, "The tradition has far more reality than you'd think..."

"Vhat?!"

The atmosphere became freezing, as Laura became quite scared by the supernatural that may-or-may-not be hiding around.

"There've been stories," Thomas whispered, "Stories about all sorts of occult happenings worldwide upon this so-called 'Hallows' Eve.' Missing People, ghost-sightings, Slashers of all kinds."

Laura's breathing went haywire.

"And worst of all..."

Ichika took the cue, and prepared to make a jump-scare upon Laura.

"...The evil spirits are never frightened. They let humans have their fun, and strike when they least expect!"

Ichika spread his arms wide.

"BOO!"

Laura screamed as she jumped around, absolutely terrified. However, Ichika didn't expect what she did next.

She collared Ichika, and threw him overhead into the classroom wall.

Ichika hit the wall on his back and grunted, dropping right into a heap with a series of thuds as he fell from the wall, utterly winded by Laura's underestimated physical strength.

Laura then ran out of the room sobbing hysterically with her arms in front of her...

...Only to run right into Chifuyu, her outstretched hands accidentally grabbing Chifuyu's breasts.

Laura, Thomas, and Ichika all began to internally panic as Chifuyu's eyes were closed and she became visibly furious.

* * *

_Later..._

"Worth it." Thomas deadpanned, as he had finished placing an eyepatch and an ice pack on his head.

"It was cute. Although, I feel guilty..." Said Ichika, as he finished applying bandages to his face.

"It was in good fun, didn't expect her to run into Big Sis though...I would've apologized after she calmed down."

The trio were sent to the Infirmary to get treated for the bruises and headaches Chifuyu gave them.

Laura was still traumatized by the entire ordeal, and sat in a ball in the corner, her eyes wide as could be.

Houki, Charlotte, and Lingyin entered the Infirmary to scold the boys for pranking Laura, eventually Cecelia and Elias followed them.

After Laura was dismissed from the Infirmary, she was quite wary of everything around her.

_"Evil spirits could be around!"_ She cautioned internally.

"Oh, Miss Bodewig!" Called Maya, holding a box.

Laura yelped as she whipped around, quickly trying to regain composure.

"Is everything alright?"

"_J-Jah_..."

"Would you help me set up these?" Maya motioned for her to look inside the box.

Laura looked inside...

...To find freakishly large spiders.

Laura screamed and ran the other way, leaving Maya dumbstruck.

The girl ran far and fast.

She had to consult Clarissa.

_In the Lounge..._

"Clarissa!" Laura boomed into her phone, "Vhat's Halloveen?!"

"_Bodewig, ish zhere a problem?_"

"_Jah whol_. I don't know vhat Halloveen ish and it scary! Zhere are large spiders, orange melons, people vith green skin and stitches everyvhere!"

"_Bodewig, listen carefully!_" Instructed Clarissa, "_Halloveen ish zhe time of year you can get creative vith your affections for Ichika Orimura! Part of zhe Halloveen Tradition ish to vatch scary movies with others. Should zhe situation call for it, you vear all sorts of costumes! You vear costumes depending upon vhich kind of situation, like seduction or othervise!_"

"I see..."

"_If you cannot vithstand vatching horror movies with Ichika, zhen attempt to vatch them vith others you are comfortable vith for experience._"

"_Jah whol_!" Laura said with renewed determination.

Laura ended her call, and stood up, ready to set about making proper arrangements.

She was going to wear costumes and watch horror movies with Ichika!

She would-

"Laura." Addressed Thomas.

Laura screamed and dropped Thomas with a gut-punch in a matter of one second.

"Why..." Thomas griped in agony as he laid on his side curled in a ball, clutching his belly.

"Oh! Thomas! You should knew better zhan to sneak up on people!"

"Miss...Yamada wanted to know if you were okay, after you ran screaming..."

"I am quite fine. I must go."

Laura began to march off, leaving Thomas as people crowds of students watched over him writhing in misery.

_In Laura's Dorm Room..._

Laura began to brush up on everything horror movie-related.

At least, she tried to do it discreetly.

Se knew full well she wouldn't survive a horror movie with Ichika.

So, she went to someone she could trust.

"Are you sure you want to watch it?" Inquired Charlotte.

"Jah!" Laura snapped, "I vill get through zhis horror, and prove I'm not scared!"

Charlotte stared, and suddenly grew a mischievous grin as she quickly began to look through the movies Ichika and Thomas lent her for the month.

"Let's see..." She muttered, "We have _The Sin Eater_, _Slasher 2021_, _Death with a Shotgun_, _Moon Base 5_, _The Borg_, _Hunter_, _The Mecha-Taur_, _Legions of Hell..._They seem to watch a lot of Sci-Fi Horror Movies_..._I know! Let's watch _The Soul-Eater from Space_!"

Laura froze, doing her best not to show her nervousness at the mere name of such a movie.

Charlotte pulled out the disc, set up the TV in front of their beds, and put in the disc.

Laura quickly changed into her cat pajamas, wrapped her blanket around herself, and clutched her pillow tightly, visibly trembling. Charlotte thought nothing of it as she turned off the lights, closed the balcony curtains, and pressed play on the remote.

And the Horror had begun.

* * *

**The Soul-Eater from Space.**

**(Disclaimer: This movie doesn't exist in real life. This was just made-up for this chapter.)**

"Captain!"

"What is it, Lieutenant?"

"We've got scans of some sort of life signal! A Distress call!"

Our Story begins on the Starship _UN Maria_, one of the most prestigious ships in the Earth Fleet with a crew of 230. Currently, the Starship has traveled in deep uncharted space, to explore and document just what is has to offer.

"On that meteor?" Inquired the Captain.

"_In_ that meteor, Captain." Corrected the Lieutenant.

The Captain paused to think.

"Get a crew out there," Ordered the Captain, "Bring it inside for examination."

In the span of 5 minutes, a team of crew members had quickly brought the object inside.

_In the Examination Deck..._

"So," Inquired the Captain, "What're we looking at, Doctor?"

The object in question was a metallic, bronze-colored ball-shaped object, which was about 9 feet tall, 6 feet wide, and 6 feet long.

"Well," The Scientist answered, "What we're looking at is some sort of device."

"As in...?"

"Alien technology."

"Stop. WHAT?!"

"We've examined the exterior," Explained the Scientist, "It's comprised of a refined, industrial-strength alloy we can't break through. Carbon dating puts it about 100 years old. The entire object itself has some sort of temperature-absorbing effect, as it seems to be quickly warming up."

"How quickly?"

"About 10 degrees a second."

"Will anything happen if it gets to room temperature."

"The object is some sort of container," Observed the Scientist, "However, there's a life signature inside. Except..."

"Except what?"

"Perhaps it's best we don't try to open it."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because this 'container' wasn't designed to be opened."

"What?"

The Scientist paused, clearly shaken by the development.

"The casing-we'll call it egg-isn't designed with an opening. The egg itself is either fused shut or-for lack of a better term-completely constructed around whatever's inside. However it could stand to reason that this egg itself could be what's making the signature."

"I see...Put this thing in a sterilized containment room in Storage Block E-15 nearby the engines, just to be safe in case of any unwanted radiation."

"Understood."

_On the Bridge..._

The Captain returned to the bridge.

"Contact the Earth Fleet," He ordered, "Tell them we're bringing something back for analysis."

"Captain," Said the Communications Officer, "I'm sorry to report, but we're far too out of range to send a transmission."

"Sonuva..." The Captain muttered under his breath, "Then tell the Engine Deck to prepare us for Hyperspeed, we need to get our latest acquisition analyzed. Our Chief Scientist was obviously unerved by this thing and I really don't like the fact that it's sitting in my ship."

"Understood Captain."

Suddenly, the Engine Monitor's station began to flash with a blinking red.

"Captain!" Cried the Engine Monitor, "Something's wrong with the Hyperdrive-?!"

Without warning, the UN Maria suddenly went into Hyperspeed, and quickly threw the ship out of whack.

"Engine Monitor! Somebody! What the hell just happened?!" Cried the Captain as he tried to regain his balance after being thrown about the Bridge.

"Sir!" Cried the Captain's Bodyguard, "We've got fire on Deck 5! The Hyperdrive activated before we were ready! I don't know what happened, but we've got serious casualties on several Decks! We're down by 40!"

"Dammit! Get everyone you can and mitigate the situation, NOW! Drop out of Hyperspeed so we can set for repairs!"

However, the damage exposed a far greater danger than anyone had ever seen.

The casing in the containment room had cracked.

A single, unnatural hand slipped out.

* * *

Laura shivered at the sight of the monster hand, holding up the pillow up to her eyes, terrified of what she might see next, and began to sniffle.

"Laura..." Charlotte encouraged, "It hasn't even gotten scary yet!"

"I know...But it vill be scary soon!"

Charlotte paused the movie.

"Well," She suggested, "If you get scared, you can give me a hug."

Laura stopped sniffling.

She kept her blanket wrapped around herself as she dashed over to Charlotte's bed and wrapped her in a bear hug.

_"She's like a little child, c'est adorable." _Charlotte thought as she pressed play on the movie.

Charlotte did her best to assure Laura by giving her a warm hug back.

* * *

"Captain, the ship's genius here." Said the Industrialist, "No, not the Chief Scientist-No, not the Computer Core-Why would you think I'm the Psychiatrist? No! It's me! The Ship's Head Industrialist!"

"_Oh._"

"Anyway, I'm here to talk to you about the Hyperdrive malfunction."

"_I was expecting a call from the Chief Scientist for that._"

"Yes, well, the Chief Scientist doesn't want to call you until he's checked, double-checked, and triple-checked his work, create a working hypothesis, write a college thesis on the matter, and triple-check his findings with peers. At which point I would've killed myself."

"_Alright, well, go ahead then._"

"Y'see, the reason the Hyperdrive screwed us over is because someone broke the rules of Quantum Speed Technology."

"_Do we have to go through all of them? There's too many and none make any sense..._"

"Alright, how about one rule?

"_Which one?_"

"The very first, _most basic_ rule of Quantum Speed Tech-Don't stand next to a Drive when it's about to flout the laws of physics."

"Somebody broke that rule?"

The Industrialist walked over to the Hyperdrive to get a solid look.

One of the workers had been meshed, at the worker's right side, into the Hyperdrive itself, as though it were a work of grotesque art. Half his face had meshed into the Hyperdrive, and his face looked as though he was screaming in his final moments. His only visible eye had turned black, like an eye socket. His skin was cold, his hand stuck out of the Hyperdrive, revealing he had a multi-functional prosthetic limb. In his left arm, the worker held a broken phone.

"One of the engineers-blue suit, red padding, prosthetic right arm, buzz-cut. He's-what's the scientific term?-_Totally Mashed_ into one of Hyperdrive's Engine Blocks, poor guy crushed his phone in his free hand in the process."

"What's his name?"

The Industrialist looked for an ID on the visible parts of the body.

"ID calls him Minnie. Looks like he had a twin brother, Manny...They're identical, which explains why I saw him wearing a red suit with green padding earlier...Wait! If I remember, Minnie was supposed to install a tracer on the Engine Block, which might be why he was there at the time. We needed to install a tracer since we needed someway to monitor the Hyperdrive output."

"_Damn. Notify his next of kin._"

"Well," Suggested the Industrialist, "Look on the bright side: At least it'll be easier to tell 'em apart now."

"_Shut your mouth._"

"Yes sir..." Groaned the Industrialist.

_On the Main Deck..._

"Everyone." Stated The Captain.

The active crew, being 255 crew members, all gathered and listened to the captain's address.

"We've suffered from this accident," Stated the Captain, "But we'll recover. In the meantime, we need to take a census for active crew members."

The crew all began to talk amongst themselves as they remained on the Main Deck.

"Dude, does anyone know what happened?" Inquired Steve, an Engineer.

"Some guy got knocked into the Hyperdrive as it was warming up, sap's a piece of street art now." Muttered Swig, a man he only met just then.

"Ouch."

"I mean, poor guy, but we outta tend more to the living, y'know?"

_Elsewhere, back on the Engine Deck..._

"Minnie..." Muttered Manny, the twin brother with a red suit and green padding.

Although he was torn up over the loss of his twin brother, he was mature enough not to break out into weeping until the funeral.

"We were through so much together...Surviving a crash in re-entry, gluing the Captain's hands together as a prank...Only for you to get killed by an Engine Block. What a stupid way to die. But the saying goes-'You burn, you temper, and you die.'"

Manny then began to do impromptu ritual rites. He quickly took out a small vial, and a syringe. He drew a sample of his own blood and emptied it into the vial and capped it, and pulled the broken phone out of his dead brother's hand.

It took a bit of effort to do so, since it appeared Minnie had quite the grip, even though he was dead.

"Let me mark your passing with a vial of blood-a sign of our kinship." He said as he placed the vial at the foot of the Engine Block under his brother.

Manny finally wrestled the phone from Minnie's hand. The phone, despite the screen being cracked, was still usable.

"Then, I'll delete your last call-don't want anyone finding out about anything incriminating..."

He pressed the delete button on the last caller icon. Whoever it was, no-one would know.

"Oh!" Realized Manny, "I should probably install that tracer for you, since we have time to do that."

Manny quickly began to search for the tracer.

However, it appeared that the tracer was nowhere near Minnie.

"Did it get stuck in the Engine Block too?" Pondered Manny.

Manny quickly began to search all over the Hyperdrive Area in search of the tracer.

His search brought him nearby to Storage Block E-15.

And then he found the tracer, sitting in an open doorway.

"There you are!" He declared, "Bloody thing must've _rolled_...I mean, damn, this is way too far to have rolled all the way here..."

Manny picked up the tracer...

...Only to have his eyes fall upon a certain container.

Suddenly, Manny's airway became strangled. The man's arms went to his throat, trying to break free of the invisible hold that caught him.

An inhuman, monstrous hand slipped out of the cracked shell, aimed towards Manny, as if it was strangling him!

Manny's mouth began to forcibly open.

It opened as far as Manny's lips would open...

...And beyond.

Manny's mouth began to rip further open as his cheeks began to rip like paper.

He made gagging and choking noises as the unnatural event turned lethal.

Suddenly, out of his nose and mouth, chunks of Manny's brain began to fly out, and spill onto the floor. His chest burst open, his heart spraying blood all over. And finally, a strange, mystical dust began to draw from Manny's body, and condense in the air, forming into a ghostly shape of the man.

The ghost was nothing more than a mere soul, drawn from Manny's dead body. Off-screen, a strange creature began to emerge and cast a shadow over the spirit. The beast was unnatural, inhuman with a human shape.

It then proceeded to devour Manny's ghost whole.

Manny was dead.

* * *

Laura squeezed the air out of Charlotte's lungs, and made a small whimper.

"Oh my..." Swooned Charlotte, right before getting winded by Laura's bone-crushing grip.

"L-Lah...Lauraccck..."

Laura didn't pay attention to Charlotte.

Charlotte began to pat Laura's arm in the hopes to get her to realize she was crushing her roommate.

Laura's eyes began to water a little.

She had relaxed enough for Charlotte to comfort her, however.

"It's too scary!"

Charlotte gave Laura a head-pat.

"Well, trying thinking of something else."

"Like vhat?"

Charlotte paused to think.

"I know!" She declared, "Try thinking of the Gospel Incident! Wasn't that scary?"

"_Nein_!" Protested Laura, "Zhat vasn't scary, just dangerous!"

"It's something of the same situation here...You were scared, no?"

"Vell, no..."

"I was."

"Really?"

"And I'm a little scared right now, so...Would like to sit with me still?"

"_J-Jah_..." Muttered Laura as the two girls continued to watch the movie.

* * *

_On the Bridge..._

"Sir." Addressed the Captain's Adviser, "Our Security Chief's calling you. It's urgent."

"Everything's urgent with him, the paranoid..." Muttered the Captain, taking his phone, "Go ahea-Slow down, what?!"

"_It's not my fault sir! This is very bad! Code Red! I think...I think we have some kind of alien predatory monster on board._"

The Captain froze, with a stoic expression on his face.

He sat frozen for a half a minute.

"Cool." He said, a grin curling on his lips as his interest piqued.

"Sir?" Inquired the Adviser.

"Get the intercom, I have an announcement to make."

"Understood." Replied the Communications Officer.

"Attention everyone," The Captain's voiced boomed all over the ship, "There's been an incident on the Engine Deck. It's probably nothing, but, just to be safe, I want everyone to pair up and find a quarters until I give the all-clear. However, I'm going to ask the Head Physician, Neurologist, and Sergeant to come down to the Engine Block to investigate."

As soon as the Captain finished his announcement, he turned back to the Adviser.

"Give 'em an hour, then lock 'em in." Ordered the Captain.

"You think they'll disobey direct orders?"

"I would if I was them."

_On the Engine Deck..._

"Sweet Jesus..." The Captain gagged as he looked ready to puke.

"What's wrong? The sight, or the smell?"

"Both!"

Manny's body had turned gray as stone, his eyes were pitch-black, his entire body froze solid like a statue.

"Okay," Said the Physician, "Let's see what the hell happened."

The Physician quickly unpacked his equipment, and poked and prodded the body with countless surgical tools.

After several minutes, he had a conclusion.

"Alright," He said slowly, "Other than the fact that his heart's over there and there's no brain activity, I think I got down to the root of the problem."

"Then spill."

"Judging from the looks of it-for some reason-his body's simply stopped."

"Stopped as in how?"

"As in it's just simply ceased to function. His entire body's gone through some sort of spontaneous version of _rigor mortis_. His blood is practically frozen solid. And-the part that unnerves me the most-his eyes turned black."

"Wait." Said the Bodyguard, "I've dealt in the occult before...I wish to see."

The Physician chuckled.

"What? Evil spirits?" He joked.

"Perhaps." Said the Bodyguard as he locked eyes with the dead body.

He stared deeply into the eyes of the dead.

"This man's soul...It's gone."

"What? If you start spoutin' mystical B.S I'm gonna-"

"-I mean it. This man's life force, what makes a human being a living, sentient organism, it's just...Gone!"

The Sergeant began to look around the mess.

"I think I see why."

"Huh?!"

"Would that have anything to do with this?" The Sergeant said as he pointed to a very specific mess on the floor.

"Is that...A brain?"

"I don't know about you," Said the Sergeant as he took a knee besides the mass, "But a brain sitting in open air outside a dead body without the skull trauma but facial injuries strikes me as very, very disgusting."

"Hold on," Stopped the Captain, "Are you telling me he _vomited_ up his own brain?!"

"Seems like it."

"Ugh...I'm gonna hurl..." Gagged the Captain.

"What now?"

The Captain paused.

"Get our star Neurologist on it."

"Wha?" Inquired the Sergeant.

The Neurologist sighed.

"And here I thought you brought me along for my stunning good looks." Quipped the Neurologist as he walked towards the dead body, sticking his prosthetic arms into the air. Suddenly, needles shot out of his prosthetic hands, causing the Sergeant to jump in surprise.

"The hell?!"

"Relax. I'm just gonna take a look at what our guy saw." Said the Neurologist as his needles began to near the body's face.

"Y'see," Explained the Captain, "The Neurologist got himself some new prosthesis for his job. Specifically, those needles are an interface for him to access a person's mind. Although, due to regulations, it's only used for autopsies, since it was outlawed for rehabilitative purposes."

"Well, that's just it." Added the Neurologist as his needles began to poke into the body's eyes.

"When you read a dead body's final moments alive...It tends to get a little sketchy."

_Elsewhere..._

"D'oof!" Grunted Steve.

"Watch it!" Snapped Swig.

"Are you sure this is a living quarters and not a closet?" Interrogated Steve.

"Hey, my navigation is the best there is!"

"Oh sure-"

"Wait! Think I found the lights!"

Swig flipped the light switch, revealing to the two just what sort of room they stumbled into.

"This ain't no living quarters," Smiled Swig, "This's a Pub."

Sure enough, the room was decked with booths and tables, a fully-stocked bar in the corner, bathrooms, and everything essential to a pub.

"Always wanted one of these..." Muttered Swig as he took a glass and began to pour himself a drink.

He turned to find Steve had propped up several chairs and was currently removing a ceiling panel.

"What're you doing?" He deadpanned.

"Escaping."

"Why? You wanna get caught disobeying orders?"

"I've got an itch and I needa scratch it. Me n' rules aren't really in a relationship, ain't got a problem with it."

"Your funeral."

Steve placed the ceiling panel back in place as he left.

_Back on the Engine Deck..._

"GYAAH!" Screamed the Neurologist as he jumped back.

"Shit!" Snapped the Physician, "What'd you see?"

"I'm just gonna outright say it," Hyperventilated the Neurologist, "That's some next-level freaky magic shit I saw!"

"Describe it!"

"Well...A 6'5 lanky monster with some ripped arms, half of an exposed brain, four tendrils, and an exposed stomach of half-digested things."

"What the hell..." Muttered the Physician as he helped the Neurologist to his feet.

"Okay...So what're...Oh..." Mumbled the Captain.

"What?"

"Look." Said the Captain, pointing towards the site.

"Oh...Is that's what caused this?"

The egg was cracked open, big enough for anything to bust out.

"Looks like whatever was inside got out, and poor Manny just-so-happened to be the first living thing it saw."

The Physician began a theorize.

"So, what we're dealing with is essentially some kind of Soul-Eater? Either way, it would appear that it tried to paralyze Manny by removing his brain and heart, and made him an easy meal..."

"It would appear that way."

"Alright," Said the Captain, "If that thing is some kind of hunter, then maybe we can lure it with a very pure and bright soul-maybe. All we need to figure out where and who that is."

"How're we going to contain it?"

"We're not going to contain it," Corrected the Captain, "We're going to kill it. It's threatening the people on _my_ ship, I could care less what happens to it."

_In the Corridors..._

"Hey! Cash, open up! It's me, Eddie!" Demanded a Crewman, knocking on the door to a Weapons Cache.

"C'mon!" He pleaded, "If I'm out here, they'll think I'm disobeying orders again! I'm already in trouble for lying to get on the Ship's Head Staff!"

Eddie heard a loud thump.

"Wait!" He said, turning from the door, "I think I heard something."

"Eddie? That you?" Responded a Crewman from the other side of the door, "Sorry, thought nobody wanted to sit with me...You still there Eddie?"

Eddie didn't respond.

The Soul-Eater had claimed another victim.

This time, unlike Manny, the Soul-Eater simply sucked the soul from Eddie without doing anything more.

However, as the Soul-Eater began to swallow its meal, the Crewman Cash had bore witness as he brought a weapon from the Weapons Cache.

"Hey!"

The Soul-Eater reared its head, the soul still in its mouth.

"If there's one thing I hate..." Said Cash, pulling out a rocket launcher.

"...It's a messy meal."

Cash fired the rocket...

...Only to have it stopped by the Corridor's internal Diffraction Barrier!

"Dammit!" He snapped.

Without warning, the Soul-Eater suddenly turned away, and ran in the other direction.

"The hell?" He pondered, "That's the munitions stores, the only real room is the Psychiatrist's...Office..."

_In the Psychiatrist's Office..._

The Psychiatrist had just finished arranging his desk.

"There," He declared, standing in the center of the room, "Perfection."

Without warning, the Soul-Eater had smashed the door down!

The Psychiatrist screamed.

He backed away, and ended up cornered.

The Soul-Eater towered over the man.

But out of nowhere, Steve bust through the ceiling, coming down right on top of the Soul-Eater!

"C'mere, you!" Said Steve, snatching up the Psychiatrist and pulling him into a vent.

"Good God! Thank you!"

"Thank me when we're out of this mess! That thing ain't too far behind."

As the two crawled through the vent shaft, the Psychiatrist got a call on his phone.

"Captain?!" Called the Psychiatrist.

"_Yeah, I heard about the incident. I didn't expect it to come after you. But, I got a plan: Make your way to the Engine Deck, and bring the monster with you. Apparently it looks like it goes after the purest souls, but that's something we can use._"

"Roger!" Said Steve as he kicked open a vent cover in front of them.

The pair realized they'd crawled all the way to an elevator shaft!

Steve smirked.

"Hold on!"

The Psychiatrist did as told, and clutched Steve's torso.

With a leap of faith, Steve jumped!

He narrowly snagged one of the cables of the elevator, and grappled his way down the shaft onto the descending elevator.

The moment they landed, Steve pried open a maintenance door to the elevator.

"Oi!" Snapped the Industrialist, "The hell're you up to?!"

"Engine Deck."

"What's going on-"

"ENGINE DECK." Shouted Steve, "NOW!"

"Alright, alright-"

"Steve! It's caught up!" Cried the Psychiatrist.

Sure enough, the Soul-Eater had burst out of the vent, and snarled as it plummeted down towards them.

Steve and the Psychiatrist quickly got inside the elevator, and pried open the door.

The Soul-Eater got inside the elevator.

Miraculously, they were on the right floor.

"Go!" Said Steve.

"But the Industrialist-!"

"We can't do anything for him now, GO!"

The pair got out of the elevator, and ran for their lives.

The Industrialist cowered in fear as the Soul-Eater towered over him.

"No! Please!" He cried, "I'M TOO SMART TO DIE LIKE THIS!"

He shut his eyes and turned away.

He slowly opened them.

The best had vanished, abandoning him for its original prey.

_On the Engine Deck..._

"There you are!" Said the Captain, the Hyperdrive's Engine Block to his right.

"What now?"

The Bodyguard quickly escorted Steve away, leaving the Psychiatrist with the Captain.

"You were wrong." Said the Psychiatrist.

"Huh?"

"The monster doesn't hunt pure souls."

"What makes you say that?"

"It's a Sin-Eater. It goes after the impurest souls."

"How can you tell?"

The Psychiatrist paused, and needles popped from his hand.

"I'm the reason the neural interface was deemed illegal for rehabilitation."

"You WHAT?!"

"Look!"

The Soul-Eater had caught up once again.

It stood, waiting to strike.

The Captain suddenly grabbed the Psychiatrist.

"C'mon ugly!" He taunted, "You're dinner's gonna get cold!"

The Soul-Eater charged.

In one swift motion, the Captain shoved the Psychiatrist to his left, and snatching the unholy creature by its wrists.

"NOW!" He shouted, "DO IT NOW!"

Suddenly, as if on cue, the Hyperdrive activated, and the ship went into Hyperspace.

Just as the Hyperdrive did so, the Captain made a dangerous gambit.

He grabbed the monster by its head, and with all of his might, shoved the Soul-Eater into the Engine Block.

The monster was devoured by the Engine Block, and died without a sound.

The Captain lost both of his arms, everything up to his elbows had been swallowed with the Soul-Eater.

After screaming it absolute pain, he laughed.

"First Rule..." He recited, "Never stand next to a Hyperdrive when its running."

He'd passed out from blood loss.

* * *

"See?" Pointed Charlotte, "It all works out in the end."

Laura still held onto Charlotte as she watched the end of the movie.

"Halloween isn't actually scary." Consoled Charlotte, "There's all manner of scary things, but _none of them are real_. And when you remember they aren't real, you can take comfort in knowing they aren't something that can frighten you with the truth."

Laura sat as she began to take all the information in.

"I know!" Said Charlotte, "How about I take you costume shopping? It'll be fun!"

"_Bist du sicher_?"

"But of course!" Smiled Charlotte.

Charlotte's bright smile won over Laura's fear.

The girls quickly went on a trip to the mainland for costume shopping.

Laura saw all sorts of Halloween items. From costumes, to decorations, and a lot more. When she finally had the chance to take a good, long look at things, she saw that they weren't as scary, and sometimes rather adorable or even risque.

"_Hei_!" She cheered.

"See?" Charlotte said, with two bags full of costume items, "Halloween isn't so scary after all!"

"_Jah_!"

Laura took a look in the costume section, looking for one that she fancied.

She found Thomas examining a skeleton morph suit.

"Perfect!" He said, right before he took notice of Laura.

"Costume shopping?"

"_Jah_...Vhat are you to dress up as?"

"I'll show you tomorrow. You might want to make your selection quick, the store's gonna close soon."

After several minutes, Laura finally saw a costume both her size and her preference.

"Charlotte!" Declared Laura, showing Charlotte her choice.

"A Black Cat, hm? Perfect! Let's go check out!"

"_Jah whol_!"

The girls returned to their dorm room, and quickly tried on their new costumes.

Laura smiled happily.

It was her first Halloween.

And it wasn't as scary as it seemed.

After all, she'd been through far worse.

* * *

**A/N: Done! This is just 1 of 2 Halloween Chapters this year! I'm going to get on the next as quickly as I can! Here's to hoping I can release the next chapter on Halloween night!**

**I took a look through previous chapters, and realized I was giving Thomas way too much development. And, while drafting this chapter, realized this was way too good to get rid of.**

**So, think of this as me starting to try and balance things out between character focus!**

**Hope this was a good enough chapter, and here's to hoping the next one is just as good!**

**After the next Halloween Chapter, comes the Kyoto Trip!**

**Next Time: A Bootiful Night.**

**It's Halloween day! The day-long celebration is underway as well!**

**However, something's gone wrong.**

**Chifuyu and Alex are missing, Maya is acting suspicious, and the student body seems more out to get the boys than ever before! Strange behaviors all around, things get suspicious and the boys try to get to the bottom of it! When nightfall comes, the boys realize their night just might turn from innocuous fun to a fight for survival...**

**Can the boys find a way to fix their nightmare?**

**Or will they discover why Chifuyu and Alex went missing?**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	25. A Bootiful Night

**I apologize. Since I wanted it to feel authentic, I decided to release this Halloween Chapter on Halloween. However, I was unable to, due to time constraints, so I settled for as release as soon as I could.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**At long last! It's Halloween day! The IS Academy has prepared many activities and places for the students to have fun all day long! The gang dress up in all sorts of costumes to celebrate!**

**However...Something's wrong.**

**Chifuyu and Alex go missing, and it appears that their disappearance wasn't scripted.**

**On top of that, strange, viral behaviors begin affecting students! Something's lurking in the dark halls of the Academy! And whatever's going on, Thomas, Elias, and Ichika need to get to the bottom of it before something worse happens!**

**Will they survive?**

**Or will they discover what happened to Chifuyu and Alex?**

* * *

It was Halloween Day!

Students all dressed up in Halloween costumes and prepared for the festivities.

The Representative Candidates all began to gather in Class 1.

Ichika was wearing a classical Slasher outfit, consisting of knee-high motorcycle boots, gray pants, fingerless gloves, a Jason Mask and an orange jacket with black accents. Despite how scary he looked, his bright and cheery demeanor outdid the dark appearance.

"Ichika!" Called Elias, "Do I look...Knightly enough?"

Elias dressed up as the Earlcumber from _Knight's & Magic_, with store-bought costume pieces and props. However, it appeared that Elias put effort into making the costume almost identical to the Earlcumber with his own work thrown into the mix. In his arms, he carried a prop sword and shield.

"Sure do!" Assured Ichika.

"Ichika!" Called Lingyin.

Elias and Ichika looked...

...Only to find a massive dragon upon them.

"Holy crap!"

"Dear Lord!"

Lingyin lifted up the upper-half of the dragon, giggling mischievously.

"Gotcha!"

The dragon was shaped after that of a traditional Chinese Dragon, designed so that a single person could wear it.

"Wow!" Admired Ichika, "Didja make that all by yourself?"

"Uh-huh!" Cheered Lingyin, "I got some advice from Tommy, since he knows most about this stuff!"

Cecelia had entered the room.

Cecelia wore a lovely Princess Costume, her costume itself had reminiscent design to Blue Tears, with blue arm warmers, and two "wings" attached to her skirt, with her tiara shaped identical to Blue Tears's headgear. She wore blue high-heels, and had something close to a cape-skirt, revealing she was wearing gray and black stockings. In her arms she held a Sniper Rifle Prop.

Elias was simply enthralled by the sight.

"Oh my!" Swooned Cecelia, her eyes laying upon Elias, "What fortune! Just as I have dressed as a princess, you've become my dashing knight!"

"I-It was coincidence..." Elias stuttered, blushing.

"Come now," Encouraged Cecelia, "We'd best make the most of this."

"Ichika!" Snapped Houki as she barged in, "How do I look?"

Houki was an elegant Samurai Princess. She wore a cherry-red robe, with a pair of crimson butterfly wings on her back, exposing her belly, and a sturdy but fashionable breatplate over her chest. outfitted with crimson armor plating around her legs to form a skirt. She also wore shoulder loose arm pads, which stretched down to her arms and exposing her shoulders. She wore a tiara shaped like the Akatsubaki's headgear. In her hand she carried a prop katana.

"Holy..." Ichika marveled.

"Well?" Houki said impatiently, "Say something!"

"You look...Dashing."

Houki blushed.

"W-Well...Of course I do."

Laura and Charlotte entered.

Laura blushed, looking as though she'd regretted her decision for her costume, a very cute Black Cat.

Charlotte, on the other hand, was dressed up as a cute Witch, and was enjoying herself.

"Wow!" Complimented Ichika, "You two look great!"

"Why thank you!" Said Charlotte.

Laura's blush went even deeper as she tried doing something Charlotte suggested.

She struck a cute, cat-like pose and made a very timid "Meow."

Everyone squealed with delight, making Laura beyond the point of embarrassed.

"_C'est adorable_!" Squealed Charlotte.

"Just like your PJ's!" Commented Ichika.

"Wha?" Inquired Lingyin, ready to fire away with teasing.

"Yeah, she has this onsie black ca-ACK!" Ichika was interrupted as Laura decked him.

"Zhat ish confidential!"

"U-Um...Ichika?" Said Kanzashi, "How do I look?"

Kanzashi was dressed as a Water Spirit, which had relative features of a dragon.

"Wow..." Whispered Ichika as he laid eyes upon her.

"Please...Don't stare, I'm getting nervous..."

"Oh, sorry." He apologized, "It's just...You look really pretty!"

"Really?" Kanzashi perked up, "Thanks!"

Nana entered the room.

She was dressed up as a Mecha Pilot, with a very down-scaled and compact version of the Production Revive she'd constructed from cardboard.

"_Incroyable_!" Complimented Charlotte, "A near-perfect replica of the Dunois Corporation Production Model Revive!"

"Y-Yeah...My Step-Mom's company did a quick joint project once, and the Dunois Corporation gave them the frame design specs, so my Step-Mom allowed me to study them if I ever decided to mod the Geargaia."

"I remember. I never had any association with the project, so they never told me about the details."

"Say," Noted Nana, "Where's Thomas?"

"Still in bed last I checked." Said Ichika.

"And you didn't wake him up?!"

"Uh..."

Suddenly, a gradually increasing sound of a trumpet began to echo into the classroom.

The students all looked around, visibly confused.

Without warning, a skeleton with a trumpet and a brass-colored vest bust into the room!

"What the hell?!" Shouted Houki.

"DOOT DOOT!" Shouted the skeleton, throwing his head about his shoulders like a maniac.

"Thomas," Deadpanned Ichika, "Take the stupid mask off."

"Coulda led 'em on longer..." Whined Thomas as he removed the skull hood mask from his head.

"What're you supposed to be?" Inquired Houki.

"The Doot Revenant."

"Really?"

"Dear God..." Groaned Nana in embarrassment.

"You laugh now..." Said Thomas.

"Hello class!" Greeted Maya, dressed in a cheap witch hat and cloak.

"Good morning, Miss Yamada!"

"Has..." Maya's face turned serious, "Has anyone seen Miss Orimura or Scott's father? Neither of them have been seen since last night..."

"No...We haven't." Hesitantly said all the students.

"Mind sharing, Ma'am?" Inquired Thomas.

"Oh," Answered Maya, "It's...Nothing. Nothing at all. Okay, who's ready to party?!"

The class erupted with agreement.

Thomas instantly knew something was wrong.

Ichika knew something was wrong because Thomas's suspicion was written all over his face.

_Minutes Later..._

"Elias!" Called Cecelia, "Let's go to the Haunted House production the Second-Years are putting on!"

"O-Of course, Milady..." Elias said, timidly following her lead.

Thomas would've indulged his childish nature more, if it weren't for Maya's strange behavior earlier.

"So," He said, quickly burying his curiosity, "What's going on around the school?"

"Well," Said Ichika, "The Second-Years are putting on a Haunted House in their hallway, the First-Years are hosting open parties in their classrooms...And, from what I heard, the Maintenance Department is trying to do some big event later..."

"What of the Student Council?"

"Sorry, Tatenashi wouldn't say."

"That terrifies me."

"You and me both."

The class had put on music and set up a dance floor. Lingyin was dancing around, waving her dragon costume all over, with an elegant wave of the costume moving like a ghost.

"I'm not the only one concerned about Chifuyu and dad, right?" Said Thomas.

"Same." Said Ichika.

The music had changed to slower, ballroom music.

"Ichika!" Called Houki.

"What's up, Houki?"

Houki looked away, as though she was about to talk about private matters.

"W-Would you...Dance with me?"

"Sure!"

Houki took Ichika's hands, and the two began to dance.

Houki never felt happier.

Lingyin, Charlotte, and Laura stared daggers at he as she danced away with Ichika.

"I got this." Whispered Lingyin.

She pulled out a marble, and rolled it towards the couple.

"Nobody gets ahead of me!" She snickered.

Houki stepped on the marble, and kicked herself off-balance!

But before she fell, Ichika caught her, as though they were performing an elegant dance rather than fall victim to a prank.

The girls were stunned, their mouths agape.

Instead of stopping the two from getting closer, they'd only brought them even closer together!

Ichika realized what he was doing, straddling Houki, and quickly backed away as she got on her feet.

"S-Sorry!"

"It's...Fine." Houki said, blushing.

Thomas did his best not to giggle as he watched.

Cecelia and Elias returned from the Haunted House.

That is, Cecelia had been carrying Elias back. Elias had fainted.

"Lemme guess," Predicted Thomas, "He freaked out?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Said Cecelia, "I'm just glad he didn't wet himself...But I still wish he'd show more spine, like his rematch against Charlotte. I do admit I'd rather be the one in his arms rather than have him in mine."

"Well," Theorized Thomas, "If that's what you're thinking of, then it'd be best to treat Elias's sudden boost in bravery more of a situational matter: It only works, should he be in certain situations, like intense pressure."

"D'oh, drat...One day, I'll be in his arms..." Muttered Cecelia as she set Elias down in a chair.

Maya was currently looking around nervously.

_"No doubt, it's about earlier..."_ Thought Thomas.

"Miss Yamada?"

"Hm?! Oh, Scott."

"Was there any word from my dad or Miss Orimura?"

"No. Not since last night."

"Hm..."

"It's probably nothing!" Said Maya, "You shouldn't worry about it, maybe they went out for the day."

"...Right."

Thomas left, and explained the situation to Ichika.

"She's obviously lying." Deadpanned Ichika.

"Dad n' Chifuyu would never." Agreed Thomas.

Suddenly, mist began to fill the room.

"Oh no..." Groaned Thomas.

"Not like we could stop her..." Said Ichika.

The mist condensed, swirling up into a solid mass. The massive cloud sucked all the attention in the room.

With a small boom, the cloud dispersed, revealing none other than Tatenashi.

"It is I!" The Student President declared, "The Mist-Bearing Lady of the Lake, Lady Tatenashi!"

Tatenashi wore a very risque Lady of the Lake costume. She wore a very thin aqua gown, exposing her belly and back. There were a pair of wings on her hips. She wore a tiara designed identical to the Mysterious Lady, as like the other girls.

"Well well," She giggled, looking to Thomas and Ichika, "If it isn't my two favorite boys!"

She strutted up to them, making sure to display her legs as she walked.

"Well?" She said, "10 out of 10?"

"Uh-huh." Thomas deadpanned, unamused.

"Well," Tatenashi huffed, "It's not worth it if you won't react!"

Ichika, on the other hand, was flustered.

"Well now." Tatenashi said in a sultry voice, purposely displaying her body to Ichika.

"C'mon, big guy," She whispered, "You know you likey~!"

Thomas and Ichika looked to each other, and nodded.

They grabbed Tatenashi by the arms, and dragged her out of the room.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!" She pleaded.

"Sorry..." Apologized Ichika, his fortitude strengthened by Thomas's presence.

"...But we're members of the Thot Patrol." Finished Thomas.

"Wait! I'm not a Thot! I'm not a Thot, I swear!"

Thomas and Ichika dumped her outside the classroom.

"Jesus himself said it once," Said Thomas, "'If she breathes, she's a Thot.'"

The boys returned to the classroom.

Elias finally woke up.

"I...I failed." He muttered.

"Don't be," Consoled Thomas, "All you need to do is remember: It's not real, and they can't touch you."

Out of nowhere, the Class could hear a boom echo from outside.

The boys raced to the window to look and see.

A trail of smoke was rising from a building. The smoke was not only rising, but spreading out over the IS Academy.

"Aw shit!" Said Thomas.

"What in the..." Trailed Elias.

"Looks like it came from the Maintenance Department. We need to go check the scene!"

The three boys raced out of the room, as all the students were still distracted.

Thankfully, they weren't alone.

Cecelia, Houki, Nana, Laura, Charlotte, Lingyin, and Kanzashi all trailed behind them after a minute.

"Wait up guys!"

"It could be dangerous!"

"We know! That's why we're following!"

_The Maintenance Department..._

The boys had quickly reached the area.

It was covered in purple smoke.

"Okay!" Concluded Thomas, "Welp, we need some sort of gas filter, that's obviously hazardous!"

"Hang on!" Realized Ichika, "Deploy the Thrusters of your Units, we can blow away the stuff!"

"Oh!" Added Elias, "I bet if we use our Units to circle around the smoke, we can create a wind tunnel to blow it into space, where it won't harm anyone!"

"Good idea! Let's do it!"

The boys quickly took off their costumes and deployed their Units.

Thomas had gone back to wearing the old-fashioned two-piece Pilot Uniform.

"Hey!" Pointed Ichika, "What happened to the new Undersheath Uniform you had, Thomas?"

"That got screwed back during the Tag-Team Tournament," Recounted the American, "I've been trying to design new uniforms for the three of us, so I sent to Undersheath back to the Maintenance Department so they could fix it."

"Oh..."

"Doesn't matter right now, let's focus on getting rid of this stuff.

The boys began to circle the cloud of gas, flying faster and faster around it to condense it.

The girls caught up, and quickly realized what they were doing.

"Oh...I get it!" Said Nana.

"What?" Inquired Houki.

"They're spiraling all that nasty stuff into space, like a coil gun!"

"We oughta help!" Suggested Charlotte.

"Right!" The other girls agreed, quickly removing parts of their costumes so they could deploy their Units.

The girls quickly took flight, and helped the boys.

"Good to see you know what we're doing!" Said Thomas.

"Alright!" Said Ichika, "Now, lift!"

The students began to fly higher, drawing the cloud higher with them.

The girls breathed, only to accidentally draw small bits of the cloud into their lungs!

The students coughed a little, but continued in their pursuits.

It wasn't long before they led the cloud up into the sky, and dispersed it.

"Should be harmless now," Concluded Thomas, "it'll vaporize and die as it reaches the upper parts of the atmosphere"

"That's good." Agreed Ichika.

Elias quickly took notice of the girls.

They were all dazed, staring at the boys with a little bit of drool in their mouths.

"Is something the matter?" Inquired Elias, "You're all confused!"

The girls quickly snapped out of their daze.

Cecelia suddenly moved over to Elias, and began to get uncomfortably close, examining his body.

"I'm quite fine!" She said, "However, we ought to check you boys. After all, you were the ones who were exposed the longest to the clouds, you could be poisoned!"

Cecelia gasped, as though she was in shock.

"What's wrong, milady?" Elias realized just how close Cecelia was, and blushed.

"You were exposed for so long!" She cried, "You poor thing! You might be getting sick! Quickly, allow me to bring to the Infirmary to get you checked. Don't worry, I'll be very thorough with your examination myself~!"

Her tone changed from concerned, to very sensual.

The other girls quickly followed suit.

"Thomas, she's right!" Said Nana, quickly grabbing him and looking him over, "But I'll be more gentle while inspecting you~!"

"Ichika!" Cried the rest of the girls, quickly crowding around him, "We'll all examine you! Let's hurry up, we can't wait~!"

"Alright," Said Thomas, "How 'bout us guys go down to the Infirmary, while you all go report to the Instructors?"

"Fine..." The girls all grumbled.

Thomas could tell something was wrong.

The girls were acting bolder than usual.

* * *

_Later at sunset..._

"Okay, something's up." Said Thomas.

"Agreed."

"Most certainly." Said Elias.

After they'd gotten rid of the cloud, the boys changed back into their costumes and surveyed the rest of the Academy.

The students all looked ready to use the restroom, and the Instructors were giving the boys very naughty looks. Any of the women they approached all had very sensual tones, and acted as though they were ready to pounce.

The boys sat in silence, quickly moving to Elias's dorm room to convene and discuss the situation.

Elias's room was very well-maintained. His bed's standard covers had been replaced with ones he'd brought from home, a stack of books were neatly placed on a shelf, and much more.

Ichika and Thomas were a little embarrassed how their room seemed to pale in comparison.

"Could that smoke have something to do with everyone's strange behavior?" Pondered Ichika.

"Most likely." Concurred Thomas.

"What was the Maintenance Department doing?" Said Elias.

"From what I could gather," Explained Ichika, "They were trying to make a whole Halloween prank, and decided to create a smoke bomb with some weird materials. I guess something must've gone wrong, because this is going around."

"That would imply we're dealing with some kind of viral element," Theorized Thomas, "But in order to know exactly _what_, we need to know the symptoms."

"Everyone was acting...a bit clingy. I mean, more than normal." Said Ichika.

"And we can count that whatever's going on, it's kind of like...Zombies."

"Zombies? Don't be so cliche." Said Elias.

Thomas flinched.

"What's up?" Ichika asked.

Thomas stood up, and went to the door.

He slowly reached for the handle.

He gently clasped the doorknob, and threw it open, quickly looking outside the dorm room.

"Nothing." He said slowly, closing the door.

"What's gotten you so cautious?" Inquired Elias.

"I have a feeling we're gonna be in for a very long night."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well," Explained Thomas, "Not only is everyone getting thirsty all of the sudden, but..."

He looked back at the door, as though he were expecting something to happen.

"...We have figure what's going on."

"Shouldn't be that hard." Assured Ichika, "I mean, doesn't seem too bad-"

There was a loud knocking on the door.

"ICHIKA!" Houki shouted from behind the door.

"What's made her so mad?" Ichika wondered as he walked up to the door to open it.

He opened it, to find Houki had changed her costume a little.

Unlike before, Houki had removed the breastplate, and exposed a very lovely black bra. She'd also removed the front two armor plates of her skirt, exposing her legs.

"Well?" She asked sensually, "This gets you off, doesn't it?"

Ichika saw her, jumped back, and blushed deeply.

"W-What're you doing?! The chest-piece was perfectly fine!"

"Oh shut it and give me what I want!" Houki said, drawing her prop katana.

Thomas decided to test a theory.

He marched up, and slammed the door shut.

"What was that all about?!" Ichika cried in dismay.

Suddenly, a katana blade had pierced through the door between the two boys.

Thomas and Ichika quickly stepped back.

After the katana pierced through the door several more times, Houki's face appeared through the hole she'd made.

"Heeeere's HOUKI!" She declared in a scary voice.

"Fuck!" Thomas said, punching Houki's face through the hole.

Thomas had noticed a very defining feature of Houki's face.

Her eyes were naturally purple, but the purple color had suddenly darkened, and began to seemingly glow.

"Why did you hit her?!" Ichika stuttered, thoroughly confused.

"We need to go!" Said Thomas, quickly searching for another exit to the room.

"Let's use our Units!" Suggested Elias, "Like before, we fly down the balcony."

"I'm sorry," Said Thomas, "But d'you wanna ditch the costume in this situation?"

"...No..." Elias groaned sadly.

"Then we'll have to scale down the balconies."

"Are you insane?!" Cried Ichika, "It made sense to use our Units, but doing it by hand?!"

"We'll be fine as long as we're smart."

"Ugh..." Grumbled Ichika, "Fine, let's go."

Houki grabbed the door, attempting to pull if right off its hinges.

"LET ME IN!" She shouted, "LET ME IIIIIIIN!"

The boys got onto the balcony, shutting the door behind them.

Houki bust through the door, and smashed into the balcony door, stuck on the other side.

The boys quickly began to jump from railing to railing as they prayed not to fall.

One by one, the boys touched the ground, and began to jog away. The sky had become quite dark, as it was nighttime. Quickly, the boys connected to one of the walkways, and began to run right for the Maintenance Building.

"C'mon!" Led Thomas, "We need to get to the Maintenance Department!"

"Why?!"

"If we can find a trace sample of whatever that-let's call it "Smoke" for time-We can analyze and figure out what the girls were up to with their smoke bomb prank!"

"Wait!" Cried Elias, "What of the other students? We can't risk this!"

"Notice how we were unaffected when the other were to direct exposure? Sure, but you're right, we can't risk getting overwhelmed!"

"Uuh, guys?" Ichika said, "We might have a problem."

The boys stopped in their tracks.

All around they heard the sounds of moaning and groaning.

The boys look all around, only to find hordes of girls coming from all sides.

They staggered and stumbled along, with the same mysterious glowing purple in their eyes.

"I take it back," Confessed Elias, "Zombies it is."

"They're not enemies, they're students," Muttered Ichika, "We can't deploy our Units and take them down...What to do..."

Thomas scanned the sky.

"I got an idea."

"Feel free the share." Ichika said, as the boys began to go back-to-back as the hordes of girls closed in.

"Remember that move I did to Laura? the Just Shield?"

"What about it?"

"We can use that."

"Really? How?"

"Do as I say, not as I do."

Thomas stepped forward, and deployed the Revive's legs.

He launched into the air, and quickly recalled the legs as he neared a lamppost.

He redeployed the legs, and launched off the lamppost, flying right over the horde.

Ichika and Elias looked at each other, and shrugged.

They both did the same.

The boys flew over the crowd, landing several meters away from the back of the horde.

The boys recalled their Units, and ran for it.

"That's genius!" Said Elias.

"Well," Said Thomas, "We're the first guys of the IS Academy, we gotta find new things to bring to the table!"

"Right," said Ichika, we need to get our bearings, and get to the Maintenance Building-?!"

A knife whizzed by Ichika's head, burying itself into the ground.

"At last," Laura said, breathing heavily, "You vill be MINE!"

Laura pounced upon Ichika.

He could feel her hot, heavy breath on his face as she suddenly began to removing her clothes a little.

"Laura, wait!"

Thomas suddenly snatched Laura by the back of her collar with his right arm, and deployed the Revive's right arm.

Laura was sent flying back, but quickly recovered.

"Aw man! Everyone's gone psycho!" Said Ichika, as the boys turned and ran away.

"Well, we weren't exactly tidy with the smoke..." Said Thomas.

"By the way," Inquired Elias, "How did you think of that?"

"Saw it in a marine life documentary once," Said Thomas, "Dolphins used that technique when hunting for prey."

"Nifty!"

"Won't do us much good now, let's hurry before another RC finds us."

* * *

The boys quickly entered the building.

"C'mon! They're right behind us!" Said Ichika as the boys did their best to barricade the door.

Sure enough a barrage of thumping from behind the door confirmed Ichika's caution.

The boys quickly went to the site of the incident earlier that day.

"Alright...Damn, my nostrils burn..." Thomas muttered, quickly rummaging through every object he could with a light.

"What now?"

"We need some sort of residue, something we can use to pinpoint the substance."

"Right."

"Somebody stand guard." Suggested Thomas, "I have a feeling that barricade won't hold for too long..."

Elias stood guard, his prop sword and shield at the ready.

Though he didn't feel the courage to actually swing.

Ichika was the first to hear it.

It sounded like a quiet growl, with repeated clicking.

Ichika whipped around...

...To find that nothing was there.

He then looked up.

Sure enough, a humanoid figure with female shape was clawing on the ceiling above him.

Thomas and Elias heard him scream.

Elias raced out of the room, to find Ichika being chased by a strange creature.

With a mighty swing of its right arm, she knocked the two boys down to the floor.

"Thomas?" Elias called, "Thomas!"

The only thing that made a sound was the woman, towering over the two boys.

Out of nowhere, the monster was knocked down by the loudest trumpet blare the boys ever heard. The boys looked, only to find that Thomas had blown a trumpet as loud and hard as he could right into the woman's ear.

"Nice!" Said Ichika, as he and Elias got up, "Where'd you get the trumpet?"

"Swiped it from the Band room when no-one was looking."

Ichika and Elias gave Thomas disapproving looks.

"What? I was going to give it back after the day was over." Thomas defended.

"Anyway," Interrupted Elias, "Were you successful?"

"Not exactly-" Thomas was cut off as the woman got back on her feet.

"We should go." Said the American.

"I'LL STEAL YOUR INNOCENCE!" Screeched the woman as she lunged for the boys.

Elias jumped away, yelping in terror. Ichika ducked under the woman letting her hit the wall instead.

"Let's roll!" Said Thomas as the boys ran for their lives.

"Who was that?!"

"Might be Chifuyu." Said Thomas, "Had the same vocal mannerisms."

"How the hell're you so calm?!" Questioned Ichika.

"I'm absolutely terrified." Admitted Thomas, "I'd be flabbergasted if I wasn't! How d'you think I got this unkempt hairstyle?"

"Touching," Said Elias, "But how will we escape? It's too dangerous to search for another exit, and we've sealed ourselves in!"

"We use the windows on the ground floor!" Said Ichika.

"But they know we're here, how will we escape without getting swarmed?"

"Leave that to me." Said Thomas.

"That's right," Remembered Ichika, "What did you mean by 'Not exactly?'"

"Well," Said Thomas, "I roughly know what we're dealing with, and we don't have to do anything other than hide the night out."

"What's this mystery substance?"

"Some sort of Aphrodisiac." Deadpanned Thomas.

The boys all blanked.

"You're kidding."

"I'm not."

"Why-HOW would the Maintenance Department get an Aphrodisiac?!"

"Dunno, but this would explain why my nose burns. I can smell that disgusting shit. They must've laced the smoke bomb with it. When it went off, the stuff spread to the air, and dosed people."

"But we're unaffected..."

"We'll figure that out later."

"So," Inquired Elias, "What do we do now?"

"We hide out 'till the stuff wears off. I recommend we sit in the Third Years' Haunted House, plenty of places to hide."

The boys reached the ground floor, and jumped out a window.

"Right, now let's-wait, where's Thomas?!" Cried Ichika.

"Thomas?!" Called Elias.

"Did he get caught?"

"He was with us..."

"Damn..."

The boys turned, only to find they were trapped.

Girls had them cornered.

"This...Might be it." Said Ichika.

"If it helps," Said Elias, "I want you to know you and Thomas were my best friends."

"Me too!"

The girls all crowded in.

It was over.

Or so the boys thought.

They closed their eyes.

_(Song-Knee-Deep in the Doot.)_

The horde of girls all looked behind them...

...To find Thomas standing on a bench, playing the trumpet at the top of his lungs.

The girls, somehow, were much more attracted to the music, and began to crowd towards Thomas.

"GO!" He shouted in between notes, "I'LL BE FINE! SAVE YOURSELVES!"

Ichika and Elias looked to Thomas one last time, saluted, and ran for their lives.

They could hear Thomas's trumpet echo all over the island.

They did their best not to look back.

It was hard for them not to, especially when the Trumpet suddenly stopped playing.

_In the Classrooms..._

"So," Said Elias, "Should we really hide? If what Thomas says is true-"

"Do you want to get caught by them like this?"

"Point taken."

The boys raced to through classrooms, holding onto the childish hope that Thomas had found a way out.

"But what was that woman?"

"Thomas could be right...I don't know, would Chifuyu really be affected by...Whatever we're calling this?"

"I hope not." Said Elias, "Nothing would be able to stop her."

"Alright..." Ichika began to look around, "Where can we hide?"

"Thomas suggested the Haunted...House..."

"Don't get cold feet now, nobody's there to scare you!"

"But..."

"Thomas is gone, you have to be brave, dude!"

"Right...Promise you'll stick with me? I...I'd rather there's someone there to catch me should I fall."

Ichika rested a hand on Elias's shoulder.

"Always." He said with a smile.

Ichika and Elias slowly and cautiously walked through the Haunted House.

The students and faculty who managed it were long since gone, most likely part of the horde outside.

The boys were so distracted by the sights...

...That they didn't realize they were already drifting away from each other.

Elias walked into a room.

The theme of the room was a dungeon room.

Elias heard the door behind creak, and slam shut.

"Ichika!" He cried, desperately trying to open the door.

"I thought you'd come here eventually..." Cecelia's voice echoed.

Elias whipped around, to find Cecelia with a sultry look on her face.

"Lady Cecelia..." He said nervously, "I don't want to, but if you try to force yourself..."

Elias took up a fighting stance.

"...I'll react accordingly!"

Cecelia giggled.

"I mean it!" Said Elias, "This behavior is unbecoming of you, even at the cusp of womanhood!"

Cecelia's smile dropped.

"Does..." Cecelia's voice trembled, "Does that mean you don't want me?"

"I...I never said that..."

Cecelia had backed Elias into a corner.

She came near.

"I'm scared." She said, drawing closer and closer, "I know much has changed since we were separated, but how I felt for you never changed, despite how much I thought I saw the last of you."

"Milady...Please..."

Cecelia had gotten close enough.

She pounced, and ended up knocking Elias onto his rear, and draped herself over him.

"I tried to forget about you because of it. But...I never felt right in doing so. And when you came back, I was frightened. At first, I was furious at myself, trying to chase you away out of fear for and of you, but you showed me you were most capable..."

She took off Elias's helmet, revealing his rose-red face.

She then brought him in for a tender kiss on his lips.

Cecelia suddenly slumped, and her lips sloppily parted with Elias's, and her head fell onto his shoulder.

The rush Cecelia had gotten from her bold deed had overwhelmed her to the point she fainted. However, Elias was also overwhelmed by the moment, being frozen in his position as he processed what had just happened.

He then fainted as well.

_Elsewhere..._

Ichika had realized he and Elias had gotten separated.

"I hope he's found a good hiding spot." He muttered to himself.

"Ori...Mura..." Whispered into Ichika's ear.

Ichika jumped forward, spinning around as he touched the ground to get a look at his attacker.

It was the woman from before!

"You don't scare me!" Ichika said boldly, his breathing beginning to speed up.

The woman stepped forward, and Ichika stepped back.

"I'm not scared..." Ichika said, his voice beginning to falter.

Ichika then tripped, and fell on his rear.

"Crap..." He muttered.

The woman towered over him.

"C-Chifuyu...?" Ichika asked, one last lingering hope in his voice.

The woman came closer, and closer to Ichika's face.

Suddenly, the woman ensnared him with a power hug!

"HELP!" Cried Ichika, "HELP ME! SOMEBODY!"

He then received a bop on the head.

"It's just me," Said Chifuyu, taking off her mask, "Dummy."

"Chifuyu?!"

"Are you so afraid of your big sister? You're so hurtful, Ichika! You know I'd never do anything to hurt you like that!"

"I'm sorry, it's just..."

"Everyone's getting all aroused because the girls in the Maintenance Department tried to play a stupid prank. I know."

"Where've you been?!"

"Out drinking with Thomas's dad. We both decided to take time off. But when he and I found out the situation here, I decided to throw a prank of my own."

"Have you seen Thomas?"

"Nope."

Oh crap..."

"He's probably fine. You boys should go back to your dorms and lock the doors, this'll all be over in the morning."

She gave Ichika a tender hug.

"You must've been scared, all those naughty girls coming after you."

"I was..."

"It's all fine now, Big Sis is here. But this is going to be a one-time deal, me letting you call me 'Chifuyu' on school grounds."

"Thanks!"

"Now go to bed. I'll take care of this."

Ichika raced back to the dorm room, and fell asleep without any more worry, knowing his older sister would sort everything out.

* * *

_The Next Day..._

The students and faculty all had a widespread hangover-like slump that morning. Even so, they still had to clean up all the Halloween stuff they'd used yesterday. And so, the classes were filled with whining, groaning, and severe headaches.

"Ugh...I'm gonna puke..." Groaned Lingyin.

"What the hell happened yesterday?" Murmured Houki.

Laura was far too out of it to even speak coherently.

"Me and Laura slept heavily last night," Groaned Charlotte, "A bit too heavily..."

Nana was the very first to actually vomit in a trash can.

"Has anyone seen Thomas? He didn't come back last night..."

It was only the very beginning of school, but Thomas had been missing ever since his trumpet solo last night.

"You mean Scott wasn't there when you came back to your room?"

"No..."

"He should turn up soon."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Well," Chifuyu said cryptically, "I don't know for sure, but I believe he managed to locate a safe place."

Thomas suddenly walked into the room, wearing a very crisp and clean IS Academy male student uniform.

"Mornin'." He said casually.

"Thomas?! you're okay!"

"Sorry for being late, I had to return the trumpet, and clean the mouthpiece. Man, cleaning one of those things takes so long..."

"What happened?! We all thought you got mauled!"

"What d'you take me for, dude?" Questioned Thomas, "'Course I escaped."

"Where were you?"

"Slept on the roof."

"WHAT?!"

"Wasn't that bad actually. I think might sleep there again sometime..."

Elias entered the room.

"Oh! Lady Cecelia. What happened last night? I woke up in my costume, but I don't remember how or why..." Inquired Elias.

"I'm not so certain..." Groaned Cecelia, "Everything's a blur..."

"Don't think too much of it, I'm certain nothing irrevocable happened."

Cecelia lied.

She did remember one thing, a very specific thing that happened last night. Her kissing Elias. She didn't even think she could do such a thing in her right mind. But, since she wasn't, she never expected to do something so bold, let alone to Elias.

It appeared that Elias was so shocked, he'd forgotten entirely.

Was this how she truly felt?

If so, she wouldn't mind doing it again...

Ichika was trying to figure out how Thomas managed to get to the roof.

Thomas's lips were sealed.

"But I'll say this," Said Thomas, "Not the worst Halloween ever, but it was certainly the most interesting one yet."

"You're probably thinking about making next year even more bat-shit crazy, aren't you?" Deadpanned Ichika.

"You read my mind, Ichika."

The boys laughed, blissful.

But neither of them knew of the danger soon to come.

* * *

**A/N: And done! I'm sorry, I wanted to release directly on Halloween, but time constraints for the previous chapter ended up putting me further back than I wanted. Nevertheless, the second Halloween Chapter is here!**

**I'll talk about my choices for the Halloween costumes.**

**Ichika is a typical Slasher, Elias is the Earlcumber, Thomas is the Doot Revenant, Houki is a Samurai Princess, Lingyin is a Dragon, Laura is a Black Cat, Charlotte is a Witch, Cecelia is a Princess, Nana is a Production Model Revive Pilot, Kanzashi is a Water Spirit, and Tatenashi is the Lady of the Lake.**

**I really enjoyed trying to come up with the costumes for each of them. I wanted to go with a sort of theme, and try recreating costumes respective of their IS Units, like symbolism. The only reason Ichika isn't doing that this time is because I did that with his Samurai Costume back in Chapter 13.**

**However, unlike the slightly lighthearted chapter this was, things are going to get real in the next chapter.**

**Because next chapter, Phantom Task makes an appearance.**

**Next Time: A Trip to Kyoto.**

**The First Year Class is going on a field trip to Kyoto!**

**The Representative Candidates all get excited as they can finally have fun as they see the sights, take pictures, and play around!**

**However...There's more danger behind the scenes. ****Phantom Task is lurking about, no doubt another attempt to abduct Thomas! But Thomas isn't one to stand for such things without getting the final say!**

**Unfortunately, Thomas will quickly discover his incredible abilities might not help him this time...**

**Leave a Review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	26. A Trip to Kyoto

**At last! One of the most crucial parts of this story has finally come! This is where Season 2 of the Anime ended, but I'm actually going to go beyond it! This will be a very crucial point for both Thomas and Ichika as fighters.**

**Besides, things will happen.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**The First Year Classes are going on a field trip to Kyoto!**

**The Representative Candidates all gather with excitement as they are going to see the sights, buy from the gift shop, take pictures, and horse around like kids! Everyone is looking forward to it.**

**However...Things go horribly wrong.**

**There's serious danger behind the scenes. Phantom Task is seen lurking about, no doubt making another attempt to abduct Thomas! But, thankfully, Thomas isn't going to let such stand without getting the final say!**

**Unfortunately, Thomas will soon learn his special skills won't help him this time...**

* * *

The train moved quickly along the track.

It moved ever quickly to Kyoto.

The girls all sat together, playing a game of cards.

Cecelia giggled.

"The Goddess of Victory has _truly_ smiled upon me this day." She smiled.

Most of the girls were playing cards to decide who would get to spend time with Ichika during their trip to Kyoto. That is, save Nana and Cecelia, whom both decided to spend time with Elias and Thomas instead.

"_Nein_!" Protested Laura, with a sinister smile on her lips, "Zhe last laugh vill be belonging to me!"

She presented her hand in front of Houki, a single card standing out, demanding that she took it.

Houki gasped in panic, praying that what she was about to do was in her favor.

_"I get to be in the same group with Ichika today,"_ Thought Houki, _"I can't afford to waste this chance!"_

Laura grinned, Houki gulped.

"Buddha help me!" She shouted as she drew the card from Laura's hand.

Laura's evil smirk grew bigger.

"NOOOO!" Cried Houki as she turned over the card, to find it was the very one she didn't want nor need.

Ichika was sitting next to them, rummaging through his bag to pull out a camera.

"Oh, is that yours?" Inquired Charlotte.

"Actually," Explained Ichika, "It belongs to Thomas's dad. But, he let us take it from home so I could take pictures during the trip for class mementos."

"Class mementos?" Inquired Houki, dreading what Ichika would answer with.

"Yeah!" Said Ichika, "Since I'm the Class Representative, I'll be separated from the main group. I'll be wandering around, and taking photos of all the scenery during our stay in Kyoto."

"Separated from the group?!" Repeated the girls as they realized what he meant.

"You mean you vill not be joining zhe rest of us?" Said Laura.

Cecelia giggled a little.

Nana took a sharp inhale for a joke.

"How could you neglect to tell us something so important?!" Demanded Charlotte.

"What now?!" Ichika cried in confusion.

The girls began an uproar as they complained to Ichika.

Maya giggled several seats away.

"I think this will be a great trip." She said to Chifuyu.

Chifuyu groaned, and settled for looking out the window.

"Yeah, sure."

* * *

The Class had just gotten off the train station, and were already greeted with the pleasant sight of traditional Japanese architecture.

It wasn't very long for the First Years to reach the hotel.

"Wow..." Marveled Ichika.

Being the Class Representative, Ichika had already gotten a little bit ahead from the main group of students.

The sun was shining, the water glistened as the light reflected off its surface, a gentle breeze of the diminishing warm summer air blew the branches in just the right way to tie the scene all together.

Houki and Charlotte had caught up.

"Oh!" Awed Charlotte, "What a lovely garden!"

"Yeah," Agreed Houki, "The hotel has great scenery!"

Ichika quickly pulled out the camera.

"EVERYONE!" Shouted one girl, "COME ON! HURRY UP!"

Suddenly, a massive mob of girls mauled Ichika and ran him right over.

By the time they'd finished stepping on him, Ichika was covered in dirt and footprints.

"So...Beautiful..." He whimpered.

Thomas slowly walked up, and helped Ichika to his feet.

"Yah." He yawned.

"Where were you?" Inquired Ichika.

"Sleeping."

"Oh..."

Elias was currently searching for Cecelia.

"Everyone, listen up!" Called Maya, quickly grouping everyone up in one place, "All of you will be on free-time in your groups after this meeting has concluded!"

Chifuyu began instruction.

"We're all scheduled to pay a visit to Kiyumizu Temple this evening. Make sure you arrive _no later_ than the scheduled time. If you're late, you're left. Is that understood? Even if you don't, figure it out! Dismissed!"

"Yes Ma'am!" Shouted the students.

_A minute later..._

Ichika stumbled along the path, dazed and confused.

The stampede from earlier had completely worn him out.

"Orimura!" Called Maya, "A...A piece of luggage was just delivered for you."

"Huh?"

Ichika walked to the delivery van, full of the students' luggage.

Amongst this heap was a case half Ichika's size with his name on it.

The sender was labeled as secret, but it was obvious to Ichika by the handwriting who sent it.

"What's that?" Said Thomas, walking up with Kanzashi.

"This was delivered for me..." Said Ichika, "But I don't know what it is."

The trio looked more intensely at the case.

Suddenly, it began to shake!

"It's alive!" Cried Thomas, "Kill it, kill it!"

The case fell on its side, and popped open to reveal...

..Tatenashi had been sitting inside it the whole time.

"SWEET MERCIFUL CRAP!" Cried Ichika.

"Ta-da!" Said Tatenashi, "It's me! The one and only Miss Tatenashi!"

Kanzashi blushed, humiliated by her older sister's antics.

"S-Sister..." Kanzashi's voice elevated by the second, "Y-YOU!"

Kanzashi raced to Tatenashi, and proceeded to push her back into the case.

Ichika and Thomas quickly followed.

"Get in there!" Said Thomas, "You ain't touchin' my buns, hon!"

"You already went on this trip!" Said Ichika, "You'll spoil it for us if you stay!"

"W-Wait-ack!" Tatenashi struggled to speak as the trio stuffed her in the case, "Guys! Cut it out! Little sister, stobbit!"

The three slammed the case shut, and locked it up.

"I haven't even done anything yet!" Tatenashi's muffled voice pleaded.

"Back into the luggage!" Said Kanzashi.

The boys lifted the case on both sides, and tossed it into the back of the van. They then grabbed the doors and slammed them shut. Thomas quickly slapped the side of the van to signal the driver to start moving.

The trio sighed in relief.

"She'll be back." Groaned Thomas.

"I'll take bets on how long it'll take her." Quipped Ichika.

Kanzashi leaned on a pillar in her school uniform, chuckling quietly as she spied on the students from afar.

* * *

Cecelia watched as the autumn leaves flapped down from the trees.

Anyone with a taste for scenery would be entranced as Cecelia was.

The heiress then saw a sight she loved even more than the last.

Elias was standing on a high ledge, overlooking the scenery in front of him. He had yet to notice Cecelia, who was off to his left. Cecelia gazed in awe as she observed Elias undisturbed.

He looked so gallant, yet his face was so innocent.

Cecelia swooned as she closed her eyes and began to dream.

In such a dream, she was a simple lady in waiting, and Elias was her dashing hero who'd come to her aid. He wore the simplest tunic, but it was enchanted to the fullest extent. And as he defeated the evil that had stolen Cecelia away, he carried her in his arms to the warm summer sunlight.

"Cecelia!" Called Ichika.

"What is it, Ichika?"

"Hold still..."

Cecelia blushed, realizing Ichika had the camera pointed in her direction.

Ichika snapped the photo.

"May I see?" Inquired Cecelia, wondering just what Ichika took a photo of.

"Sure!" Ichika replied, holding out the camera.

Ichika had completely missed Cecelia, as he'd taken a very wonderful photo of the foliage next to her instead.

Cecelia didn't know why, but she felt a little upset. She made a short whimper in disappointment.

"What?" Inquired Ichika, "Is it blurry? It doesn't look blurry to me..."

"N-No...It's not that, it's just..."

"What?"

"Never mind, I was just going to check up on Elias to see how he was doing."

"Orimoo, Orimoo!" Called Honne.

Honne was standing at the top of a nearby flight of stairs along with her group.

"Will you take our picture?" Asked Honne.

"Sure!" Ichika said, preparing the camera.

"Over here, Orimura!" Called another group of students.

"Hey, no fair!" Cried another group, "Over here too!"

Ichika quickly found himself overwhelmed.

"O-Okay then," He tried to gain control, "Everyone, please wait your turn!"

"Okay!" Said another group, "Make sure to get everything in the shot!"

"Wait! I wanna be in it too!" Cried one girl quickly racing into the frame before Ichika took the picture.

The Class decided to take another stop at the Golden Pavilion of Rokuon-Ji.

"Oh, wow!" They marveled, "It really _is_ made of gold!"

Ichika snapped another picture.

The group then stumbled upon a wedding.

"Wow," Swooned one student, "Look at the bride!"

"Ooh~! The all-white Kimono is _divine_!"

Ichika took another photo.

So far, Ichika's experience in Kyoto was quite lovely.

However, Thomas must've forgotten he was in a group, as he went off by himself. Most likely, Thomas had gotten himself lost again. However, Ichika felt a little nervous, seeing as Phantom Task could be anywhere. But he also felt reassured knowing Thomas was able to defend himself if need be.

He chose not to worry too much about the subject.

_Elsewhere..._

Thomas was walking, no real destination in mind.

_"Last time I went on a trip to a nice place,"_ He reminisced, _"Didn't end too perfectly. Peh, listen to me, only a First-Year and I'm already remembering things like an old man. Kinda weird."_

The seasons come and go, and Thomas knew the feeling.

The time one has is fleeting, and Thomas would soon come to learn just how quickly things in his life would happen. Not much had had ever been life-changing for Thomas, as he'd been mocked for his dreams from elementary to the end of junior high. However, his life had picked up for the better the moment he discovered he could pilot an IS Unit.

And ever since then, so much had happened, yet it felt like only yesterday he was still getting lost in the halls of a public high school back in the United States.

Despite how much Thomas had been through, both the best and the worst had yet to come.

Thomas had gotten so lost in thought over the subject, he'd completely lost himself on the streets of Kyoto.

For some reason, a smile began to curl on his lips.

So much had happened indeed. Sure, Thomas seemed weary of everything he'd been through at the IS Academy, but in reality, he'd begun to realize his annoyance was a form of enjoyment.

As annoying and strange as it was, Thomas didn't feel the same without his day-to-day routine of the IS Academy.

People took him seriously, he was surrounded with people who genuinely cared about his well-being, his metaphorical family treated him so kindly over the few months. Thomas didn't want what he had now to change. What he had was something that every human wanted, but none would want to lose.

But deep in his heart, he knew his wish wouldn't come true.

Someday, he'd leave the IS Academy. He would leave his happiest years behind.

And that was Thomas's true fear.

Not of scary things or people. But rather, the knowledge that the day would come where he'd be left behind, abandoned, and his destiny would be up to him, and him alone.

Thomas stopped in his tracks.

He began to wonder what he would do when that day came.

Sure, he could talk and assure people of what he would do. It'd be so easy to be so bold and claim that he'd be unaffected, that he could move on and prosper. But in reality, Thomas was far more afraid of being discarded and left to himself.

He felt that if he had to make his own fate, he'd have none at all.

Thomas began to ponder what exactly brought him to thinking over such a matter, and realized he wanted to go find his friends.

Thomas began to walk with a purpose, and looked left and right in search of someone he knew.

It didn't take very long.

"IIIICHIKAAA!" Several voices shouted.

Thomas looked to his left, only to find Ichika running like a madman away from Lingyin, Charlotte, and Laura.

"I'll be..." Muttered Thomas as he caught up to Ichika.

"Tommy! Thank God!" Said Ichika.

"You said something stupid again, didn't you?"

"What d'you mean? What'd I say?!"

"Fucking knew it!"

"Help me!"

"They're after you, not me!"

"SAVE ME, YOU BASTARD!"

"Fine, be cool dude." Said Thomas.

Thomas and Ichika neared a corner.

"LEEEFT!"

Thomas and Ichika zipped to the left, around the corner.

RIIIGHT!"

The boys then made a sharp 90-degree turn around another corner.

"What're we doing?!"

"The more turns we take, the harder it gets for them to keep up."

"Good plan!"

"Elias never has to put up with this..."

"Huh?"

"He and Cecelia are so lovey-dovey and all that, so their set. I haven't really made an attempt to talk to Nana on the subject, so I'm not set. But you? You got it the worst, buddy."

"What the fuck are you on about?!"

"You're right. It can wait." Restated Thomas.

After more twists and turns, Ichika and Thomas finally stumbled to a halt to catch their breath.

"I'd wager one minute." Said Ichika.

"You really think it'll take that long?" Deadpanned Thomas.

"You're right. Thirty seconds."

"Well, wanna hang out somewhere?"

"Les' just stroll through the streets. Take some pictures an' all that, y'know?"

"Aight."

_Elsewhere, at the Fushimi Inari Shrine..._

Maya and Chifuyu were walking down the 1000 Gates.

Maya could tell something was bugging Chifuyu.

"Miss Orimura," She finally spoke up, "Is there something that's bothering you?"

"Of course there is." Answered Chifuyu, "Our school and students have already been the target of several attacks, by various perpetrators."

Chifuyu had yet to declassify the information Thomas had given her regarding the unmanned IS Unit attack to Maya. That information being that Tabane Shinonono herself was behind both the first unmanned IS attack as well as the second. No doubt she was trying to gather data, for whatever purpose was still unknown.

But the way she went about her task contradicted with Chifuyu's sense or morality.

However, Maya knew about Phantom Task's fixation on Thomas.

The problem was simply that no-one could really deduce Phantom Task's motives, seeing as Thomas wasn't a likely target. There was simply no logical connection between Thomas and Phantom Task, but they were still so drawn to him.

In fact, Ichika was a far more veritable and logical target, due to him having the most gathered data on his profile, as well as an IS Unit a whole Generation ahead of literally the entire world.

Chifuyu had many theories, but nothing that would give her what she was looking for.

"We need to keep a close eye on everything, and make sure that our students actually enjoy their stay in Kyoto." Chifuyu concluded.

"Yes Ma'am!" Maya said cheerfully, inspired by Chifuyu's determination.

_In the streets..._

"I'm telling you, there's no way they caught up to us." Said Ichika.

"You sure? That sort of thinking's been disproved before."

"Hey there, guys!" Honne called.

The boys looked forward to find Honne, wearing a kimono as she hopped towards them, her face grinning like a mischievous child.

"Nohotoke?" Piped up Ichika.

"I'm being chased by Kan-Chan!" Honne cheered as she hopped right past the boys.

Sure enough, Kanzashi was quickly hopping after her in a kimono of her own.

"Honne!" She cried, "Please, wait! Where are you going?!"

Kanzashi stopped as she hopped right next to the boys, completely spent. She bent over as she panted heavily, trying to catch her breath.

"What's up with the new outfit?" Said Ichika.

Thomas would've added on, but was suddenly distracted by something the other two weren't paying attention to.

"Oh! Ichika!" Piped up Kanzashi, "Um...It wasn't really my idea. I only got it...Because everyone else said I should try wearing something fancy...I really didn't wanna do that sort of stuff. But, well..."

"Well," Complimented Ichika, "I think it looks really great on you!"

"Really?" Kanzashi perked up.

"Yeah! What d'you think, Thomas?"

Ichika looked to Thomas, only to find that his friend had already vanished.

"Thomas?"

Ichika and Kanzashi looked around themselves, thoroughly confused by how Thomas disappeared from plain sight without their notice.

Suddenly, an object with a reflective surface whistled by Ichika's head. With a thunk, a knife had lodged itself firmly into a wood pillar right next to Ichika.

Ichika gulped.

He knew full well who threw the knife.

"Target locked." Deadpanned Laura, standing on the rooftop opposite from where the knife was.

"So Ichika," Growled Charlotte, as Lingyin stood next to her, "_What_ looks really great on her?"

"What she said!" Snapped Lingyin.

"Of all the times Thomas pulls a Houdini!" Cried Ichika.

"Ichika!"

"You're not getting away!"

"You'll pay big time!"

The girls lunged for Ichika. Ichika stumbled as he turned around, quickly pulling Kanzashi into a bridal style carry, and ran away as fast as he could.

Nana, who was trying to find souvenirs for her parents, turned around to find Ichika carrying Kanzashi as the two of them were running terrified, with Laura throwing more knives at them than humanely possible.

"She's throwing more knives than Dio ever did..." She muttered while gawking.

_Elsewhere..._

Cecelia did her best.

But no matter how hard she tried, she was never able to approach Elias.

She was either too anxious, or fate intervened and somehow steered Elias away from her approach.

Cecelia wanted to, but didn't feel right if she were to assert herself. Elias was always doing something, and it would be rude and unbecoming of her to interrupt Elias for her own desires.

She didn't know if it was right to be greedy, or to let Elias be.

The poor girl didn't have a proper model for such a situation. Normally, in this situation, a child would consult her parents on the matter, so that they may get experience from veterans on the subject.

She was currently stalking Elias from a street corner.

Currently, Elias was getting dozens of requests from other students for various things.

Cecelia couldn't help but feel a pang of envy and jealousy, wanting to replace all of those other girls with herself.

She slipped from cover to cover as she watched Elias move about his way.

Eventually, she saw him come across a very popular shrine.

Elias stared, pondering what he should do.

He went to the shrine to make a wish.

He purchased a charm, what the charm was for Cecelia couldn't see.

Elias laid the charm in front of the shrine, and began to whisper his wishes, praying so quietly Cecelia couldn't hear.

"Please," He finished, "Show me I'm worthy of milady."

Elias turned to leave, making a final bow in the hopes the gods would answer.

Cecelia quickly dropped away before Elias saw her.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Did Elias really not see himself as a worthy suitor for her?

_Elsewhere..._

Thomas was currently walking down a forested path to a shrine.

No-one else was around him.

He stopped abruptly.

"I know you're here," He said, "Which one of you is it this time? Madoka? Kana? Autumn?"

Squall emerged from behind a tree, her usual sultry smile on her face.

"Squall." Groaned Thomas.

"Don't get too excited to meet me," Said Squall, "After all, I think it's time we get better acquainted with each other."

Squall began to stroll towards Thomas.

"After all," Squall noted, "It's only basic that a good mother gets to know her son."

Squall was only three or four steps away.

"Yeah?" Said Thomas, "Well..."

Thomas jerked his knee, deploying the Revive's leg to send Squall off her feet.

"...I'm in a rebellious phase!"

However, Squall moved faster than Thomas could see. The next thing Thomas knew, Squall had tripped his other foot and caused him to fall on his rear. Thomas was stunned, as his usual foes would be too slow to evade, let alone counter his attack.

But Thomas was determined.

With the skill of a trained acrobat, Thomas rolled onto his shoulder and flipped back onto his feet, recalling the Revive.

"I see you take after your mom."

"What d'you know about it?" Snarled Thomas.

"Oh dear," Squall whimpered, "I must've struck a nerve, sorry."

Thomas raced up, leading with a jumping counterclockwise roundhouse kick to Squall's head with his left leg.

Squall caught him by the ankle with her left hand.

Before Thomas began to descend, he attempted to make another kick with his right foot at Squall's left. Since her reach was limited, Thomas would have a chance since he was using a one-two attack in quick succession.

Squall caught with his right ankle with her right hand.

Suddenly, Squall jumped and rolled, spinning Thomas and dropping him to the ground.

Thomas grunted.

"I see you make good use of you little skills," Observed Squall, "However, I feel like it's time you were owed an explanation."

Thomas rolled back to his feet.

He then began to attack Squall furiously.

Squall counted each and every move he made with her right hand.

"As I was saying," Squall continued, "Back about...Sixteen years ago, the UN had a little project. The name's irrelevant, as the project pretty much dissolved at this point. The purpose was to create genetically enhanced super-soldiers, masters of all forms of combat."

Thomas attempted to make a dropkick on Squall.

Squall paused her story as she grabbed Thomas by the ankles, and dropped him to the floor.

She sat on his shins to restrain him as she continued.

"Y'see," She explained, "I was a part of the project-one of the elites of it too. What they did was lace my genetic structure with nano-machines, and it really brought out my combat prowess."

She sighed.

"Unfortunately," She mumbled, "The project was pretty much a girls-only, since most of the male subjects brought in either died during the implantation, or didn't last very long after. It was sad, really. The world was pretty much approaching a matriarchy, even before the Infinite Stratos came about."

Thomas deployed both of the Revive's legs.

Before he had a chance, Squall jumped away before she was sent flying from the deployment.

"Now," Smirked Squall, "I know what you're thinking: 'What's this got to do with me, some motherless boy?'"

"Had crossed my mind." Quipped Thomas, as he began to pant.

Squall was tiring him out.

"Well," Declared Squall, "That's because _your mother_ was a part of the project as well."

Thomas froze.

"Any normal person would've denied that," Giggled Squall, "But you really don't know what to think, do you?"

Thomas didn't answer.

"This is a lot for you to take in," Apologized Squall, "However, it's obvious there's still a bit more to say."

Thomas quickly lunged, bringing out his Revive's right arm for a clothesline.

"Not only is your mommy a genetically-enhanced super-soldier..." Said Squall as she countered.

Suddenly, Thomas's mechanized fist was caught by a much larger, golden fist. Thomas realized that Squall deployed the right arm of her own IS Unit. But what it was, he still had no idea.

"...But the strangest thing is, you inherited her nanotech." Squall finished, "But, unlike me and your mom, it's all natural for you. You're the very first male that has ever been under the super-soldier project. That's why you've been so good at fighting, up until now."

Squall then threw Thomas into a tree.

"But," She said, "That's no longer the case. After all, you've been going at it like a wild animal. But me? I've had your whole lifetime and more to practice."

"Ain't gonna let that stop me." Said Thomas, going in for another punch.

Squall once again caught the Revive's fist with her Unit's fist.

"Give up." Squall's voice snapped, "My IS Unit, the Golden Dawn, is easily a lot better at brawling than your Revive."

Thomas deployed the Revive's left arm, with a Combat Knife.

He thrust the knife.

Squall deployed the Golden Dawn's other arm, and grabbed his left wrist.

She wrestled the knife from his hand, and proceeded to cut open Thomas's school uniform shirt.

The Knife recalled, and Thomas once again fell on his rear.

There was no longer a doubt about what he had to do.

He had to _run_.

Thomas recalled the Revive arms, and launched towards a tree with his Revive's left leg.

He spun, punching the tree with the Revive's left fist as he launched away.

Squall saw no point in pursuing.

After all, Thomas would show himself again quite soon, due to just what sort of chaos Phantom Task had planned for the IS Academy's trip to Kyoto. If Thomas wouldn't come willingly, they'd make sure he'd have nothing to return to.

Squall made a call to Kana.

"Kana, sweetie?"

"_Yes Mama?_"

"Thomas slipped away from me, I'm afraid he'll get lonely very soon. Would you go and give him some company while me, Mama Autumn, and your Little Sister Madoka go and take of the business with Tommy's friends?"

"_Yay! Right away Mama!_" With that, Kana already disconnected from the call.

"That's my girl, over and out."

Before the day was out, Thomas would be in Phantom Task's clutches.

And how they went about finally capturing Thomas was of no concern in the slightest.

_At the Kiyomizu Temple..._

"Kyiomzu's main hall has a veranda that sits on a 13-meter mountain slope," Explained Maya, "The temple's supported by 139 wooden pillars nicknamed the 'Hell Pillars.'"

The First Year Class had all arrived at the Kiyomizu Temple.

The Representative Candidates were all a little concerned, as Thomas was nowhere to be seen.

Chifuyu had shown concern as well, but quickly suppressed any display of such.

"I'm sure he'll turn up." Ichika assured everyone.

It was when Thomas was suddenly missing that everyone remembered their vow to keep him safe after Phantom Task tried to abduct him. Each one of them felt a little guilty they'd already forgotten such a vow. They'd relaxed their grip a little too much, and Thomas slipped through their fingers.

But with Chifuyu's continued assurance Thomas was fine, the group did their best to feel at ease.

"How beautiful!" Charlotte marveled, looking beyond the railing of the veranda.

"How magnificent!" Swooned Cecelia, "It'd be the perfect place for a...wedding..."

Cecelia quickly began to dream. In her dream, Elias was sweeping her off her feet as they were at long last married on the best sunny day of the year in the Kiyomizu Temple's main hall.

"Oh, Elias!" Cecelia shouted to herself, "We can't do that! We're still so young!"

Elias, whom was distracted, turned as he heard Cecelia's bashful words.

"Okay everyone!" Called Maya, "We'll be leaving soon, so be sure to reach the monorail station at the appointed time!"

The students acknowledged, and began to return to their activities.

On the off-chance, Ichika glanced at Chifuyu.

She was distracted, brooding as she gazed into the distance while standing at the corner railing of the veranda.

The boy had found the perfect moment to take a picture of his older sister.

Ichika snapped the camera, and caught Chifuyu's attention.

Chifuyu turned, her usually cold expression locking eyes with Ichika.

"It's considered rude to take a photo of a woman without asking for permission first." She scolded.

"Oh," Ichika whined, "Sorry, I was just..."

"Be sure to give me a copy later." Chifuyu said with a smile, and marched off.

"Although," She piped up, "I wish you'd have taken photos of Thomas for me, like I used to do back in the day."

"Sorry, he's been elusive and getting lost..."

"Aw," Said Chifuyu, "That's a shame, it would've been nice to have gotten a few memories of his first time in Kyoto..."

Ichika was confused by the statement. Chifuyu had already walked out of earshot, so he couldn't ask her to clarify.

"Oh, Ichika." Greeted Charlotte.

"What's up?"

"Can I see some of the photos you took?"

"Sure! Have a gander!" Ichika said happily.

"Wow..." Charlotte awed as she got closer, "You've been to so many different location today..."

Charlotte didn't notice that her chest was brushing up against Ichika's arm.

Ichika, on the other hand, did.

"Oh!" Piped up Houki, "Let me see too!"

Houki began to brush her chest up against Ichika's other arm.

"Wow!" She said, "This one looks great. And this one too!"

"I'm still looking at them, y'know..." Told off Charlotte.

"Well I wanna see them too!" Houki complained childishly.

All the while, Ichika was doing his best to keep his composure as the girls were pressing against him.

"W-Wait your turn, guys..." He stuttered.

"Orimura!" Said one girl, "I wanna see 'em too!"

"No fair!" Whined another.

"Me too, me too!" Cheered Honne.

Soon enough, everyone was pushing and shoving so they could get a glance of the pictures Ichika took.

"Hey hey!" Cried Ichika, "One at a time! C'mon!"

Ichika tried to lift the camera in the air to keep it safe from dropping it.

"Guys, seriously!" He pleaded, "I'll dro-?!"

Suddenly, the camera slipped out of Ichika's hands, and dropped over the railing of the veranda, sliding down the slanted tile roof and off the Kiyomizu Temple entirely! The camera plummeted into the treetops of the forest below, out of sight.

"D'oh, dammit." Ichika muttered under his breath.

The girls all looked worried as they tried to get a fleeting glimpse of the camera.

"I'll go get it." Ichika groaned, "I mean, Mr. Scott said it was tougher than a Nokia Phone, so it should be fine."

Ichika quickly raced down the flights of stairs, and running to behind the ground floor of the temple so he could retrieve the camera and get to the monorail before the train took off and left him behind.

Ichika then realized Thomas still hadn't shown up yet.

"I'm sure he's fine," Ichika said to himself, "He can take care of himself, right?"

Ichika had reached where he calculated the camera landed from the trajectory of its fall.

He then heard a click from behind.

Ichika snapped around...

...Only to find none other than Madoka Orimura standing on the staircase behind him.

"Madoka!" He stated.

"Ichika Orimura..." Spat Madoka, "I'll take your life now."

"Crap..." Muttered Ichika.

Madoka spread out her arms.

**"Come forth!"** She shouted, **"KUROKISHI!"**

Suddenly, Madoka was enveloped in a bright light.

_At the Monorail Station..._

Houki was walking towards the entrance of the Monorail Station as she saw Nana jogging out.

"Nana? What're you doing?"

"Neither Ichika nor Thomas are here, and everyone's getting worried." Nana explained, "Miss Orimura's sent me to go find either of them."

"I'll help." Offered Houki, "Working together will make it easier to find them.

On the train, Maya and Chifuyu were doing a head count for attendance.

"Ma'am!" Cried one student, "Orimura and Thomas are still missing!"

"I've sent Parker to go find them," Explained Chifuyu, "But don't be worried, both of them are capable of defending themselves, at least long enough for us to locate them if they're separated."

"But Mentor!" Piped up Laura, "Thomas has been zhe target of several abduction attempts, and Orimura has been marked for assassinations!"

"That is correct Bodewig," Said Chifuyu, "But they're in danger right now, both of them are smart enough to make a disturbance that we could track if they're up against something they can't handle. At least, they _should_ be..."

"Look!" Called a student, pointing out the window.

Sure enough, a bright flash of light was emanating from the trees nearby the Kiyomizu Temple.

Chifuyu didn't need to be an expert to know that one of the boys was in trouble.

"Miss Yamada," Ordered Chifuyu, "Take the students back to the hotel. I'll rejoin you once I find the boys."

"Y-Yes Ma'am!" Maya stammered.

It was obvious to both teachers that something had gone horribly wrong under their watch.

But they didn't have time to remedy the situation.

Without warning, the train doors suddenly shut automatically.

The digital screens on the train flickered and fizzled out.

Suddenly, everyone was rocked as the train began to move!

Chifuyu grit her teeth.

Not only were the boys in serious trouble, but now the entire First Year Class was most likely in mortal danger.

_Elsewhere..._

From the rooftop of a tall observation tower, Squall smiled as she watched the train carrying the IS Academy zoomed down the tracks.

"If Thomas wants to run away home," She sneered, "Then we'll just have to see to it that he has no other home to come back to but ours. Either way, you're too late to stop us, Tatenashi Sarashki."

Sure enough, Tatenashi was standing 2 meters behind Squall.

"Looking at things down below from up above?" Quipped Tatenashi, "I guess celebrities don't think like everyone else."

Squall slowly turned to face Tatenashi.

"Moscow's 'Thick Fog,' wasn't it? If I recall that's the ID of your IS Unit."

"Sorry," Said Tatenashi, "But it's the Mysterious Lady now."

"A turn of name worthy of merit." Complimented Squall.

"So what are you up to, Squall of Phantom Task?"

"The usual," Explained Squall, "Y'see, I completely understand my motives seem quite bizarre-going after some random American boy instead of a Japanese boy with more data and an IS Unit practically light-years ahead of the world."

"So, why don't you elaborate?"

"I think I will," Answered Squall, "True, Ichika Orimura is by far a more valuable target. But, M's the one who's more interested in him. However, you may remember Agent Yin, the infamous 'Black Ghost of the Amazon Program?' I know full well. You see, Thomas is the son of said Agent Yin. Not only does he possess a very unique 2.5 Generation IS Unit, but he's also the first male to ever survive the Amazon Program."

"Which means?"

"Not only is he one of the exceptionally rare male pilots, but he's an all-natural super-soldier, and his genetic structure could also be reverse-engineered, and in turn, completely revitalize the Amazon Program. Phantom Task could really benefit from his body. But me, personally? Well..."

Squall licked her lips sensually.

"...I'm going to be the mommy Thomas never had."

"So, Tommy-Mommy, huh?" Joked Tatenashi, "Nevertheless, I won't let you do as you please. After all, I'm the Student Council President at the IS Academy. I'm going to stop you. I'm not about to let this 'M' of yours have her way with Ichika, and besides..."

Tatenashi smirked.

"...The only one who gets to screw with Tommy like that is _me_."

"Possessive, are we?" Giggled Squall, "No matter."

Suddenly, a golden, massive, mechanical tail materialized from Squall's back, and snapped its claw around Tatenashi's torso like a bone-crushing vice in the matter of a second.

"Since you seem so keen on keeping Thomas to yourself, it looks like there can only be _one_." Squall sneered, "Besides, it's already begun! And you are too late to stop us from taking Thomas!"

_Elsewhere..._

"Ichika?! Thomas?! Where are you?!" Cried Nana.

"Damn..." Muttered Houki.

Suddenly, an energy bolt flew right by their heads.

The shooter, being none other than Autumn, in the Arachne.

"Well, well, well, you brats." Sneered Autumn, "I think I'll kill you now."

"Why you-!" Snarled Houki, but paused.

"Hey! I'M AUTUMN YOU BRATS! HOW COULD YOU FORGET?!" Autumn screamed with rage as she recalled the helmet from her head, allowing the girls to see her face.

"I know you!" Accused Houki, "You're that lady from the mall! You were trying to do something to Thomas!"

"She _what_?!" Cried Nana.

"Oh? So now you remember me?!" Spat Autumn.

"We're not letting you get to Thomas this time!" Boldly declared Houki.

Autumn began to laugh.

"It's already too late! Our last operative is already searching for him as we speak! At this rate, he's as good as ours!"

Autumn pulled out the Arachne's Famas.

"Either way," She sneered, redeploying her helmet, "You two should worry about yourselves right now. Seeing as Thomas likes you, he'll be trying to find you for his own safety or yours. To make sure he doesn't, I'll just kill you right here so you won't become a nuisance later."

"Aren't you trying to coax him to surrender? I doubt making martyrs out of us is going to make him submit!"

"Don't misunderstand," Explained Autumn, "My boss and I both love the dear boy with our whole hearts, like family. But, Neither of us will object to murdering all of his friends if that's what it takes to catch him."

"You bastard..."

"Not like that'll matter to you for very long, when I'm done with you, there won't be anything left for him to find!"

Autumn lunged for the girls, ready to kill them where they stood.

_Elsewhere..._

Madoka floated above the ground, piloting an IS Ichika had never seen before.

It looked like the Shirokishi.

But at the same time, it was a black butterfly.

"So Madoka," Questioned Ichika, "Why're you coming after me?"

Madoka scoffed.

"You're not who I'm after."

"What?"

"I'm really after Chifuyu Orimura. But, I'm not stupid; You're obviously going to try and get in my way if I go to fight Chifuyu. So, to make sure you aren't going to stop me, I'll kill you first, and then I'll kill her!"

"I won't let you!" Ichika vowed.

Suddenly, Madoka pulled out a Lancer Bit, and charged the weapon.

"Shit!" Said Ichika, deploying the Byakushiki's right arm in the hopes of somehow blocking the attack.

His vision was then filled with white as he was enveloped with searing hot heat.

Madoka chuckled.

Things were going so easy for Phantom Task this time.

It wouldn't be long before Kana located and subdued Thomas.

Feeling satisfied, Madoka made a sinister grin.

Chifuyu was next.

* * *

**A/N: And done! This chapter's got a lot of revelations. Thomas is the son of a genetically-enhanced super-soldier, and Squall reveals more about Phantom Task's interest in him!**

**Y'see, Squall is the first opponent Thomas was unable to so much as fight, due to her being a super-soldier alumni along with Thomas's mother.**

**Either way, Kana's IS Unit will be revealed next chapter as well!**

**Things are getting intense, and it'll be mortal combat for the IS Academy Representative Candidates!**

**Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Next Time: The Power of Two.**

**The IS Academy's First Year Class is in mortal danger! Trapped on a runaway monorail train, Chifuyu will have to find some way to fix the already-botched situation.**

**Phantom Task's once again gunning for Thomas, and they'll kill anyone who gets in their way!**

**With Thomas missing, Ichika possibly down and out, and several hyper-lethal Phantom Task pilots out to kill them all, can the IS Academy Students still find a way to win an unwinnable battle?**

**Can Thomas and Ichika once again pull together, and save the day before it's too late?**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated, and show that you care!**


	27. The Power of Two

**A lot of stuff went down last chapter, and a lot more is gonna go down this chapter! Thanks to everyone who's supported this story so far, because there's going to be a lot more to come.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**The IS Academy's First Year Class is in mortal danger!**

**Trapped on a runaway monorail train Chifuyu has to find a way to keep everyone calm and fix the already-botched situation. But She's about to learn that if she doesn't get control of the ordeal soon, the students will pay the price!**

**Tatenashi is in Squall's clutches, Houki and Nana are cornered by Autumn, Madoka has already dealt with Ichika, and Thomas is missing entirely! It's a race against time and the enemy to find Thomas and secure him before it's too late!**

**But Phantom Task is out to get Thomas by any means necessary, including killing anyone that gets in their way! Can the IS Academy find a way to fight in a hopelessly unwinnable battle?**

**Thomas and Ichika will have to do the impossible if they hope to win!**

**Will Ichika and Thomas pull themselves together once more, and save the day?**

**Or will Phantom Task have the last laugh?**

* * *

"What're we gonna do?!" Cried Kanzashi, almost on the verge of a mental breakdown.

"Ve must avait orders from Mentor Orimura." Affirmed Laura.

Chifuyu quickly gave the order.

"Contact the Academy, immediately!" She commanded, "Tell them we need Military backup, stat!"

"Understood, Ma'am!" Maya quickly went to make the call.

"Someone, get a line to Scott!" Chifuyu shouted, "If anyone has his contact info, use it and fill his damn inbox!"

"Ma'am!" Cried Lingyin, after making an attempt.

"What's wrong?"

"Somethings happening," Said Lingyin, "Scott's not picking up! Something keeps blocking him, it won't go to voice mail! Someone else, get Orimura on the line, now!"

"Oh...That's what they were doing..."

Chifuyu finally figured out what happened.

Phantom Task had lured Thomas away from the group and isolated him. A quick glance to Maya confirmed her theory. Phantom Task wasn't blocking them on the train, but rather, Thomas outside.

"Orimura's not picking up either!" Cried Charlotte, "I'm getting voice mail, but he won't pick up!"

"Just where the hell did Thomas go?" Muttered Chifuyu.

It wasn't like Thomas to just up and vanish.

If Thomas had a run-in with Phantom Task, they were most likely in the process of herding him further away from the Class. Thomas also never went to Kyoto, despite going to Japan many times as a young boy. The lay of the land was still new to Thomas, which meant the longer Phantom Task ushered Thomas, the higher the chances of him being completely lost were.

Ichika wasn't responding, which only meant one thing.

He was most likely already dealt with by Phantom Task.

Chifuyu began to fear the worst.

* * *

_Minutes ago..._

Thomas skated to a stop.

Squall wasn't chasing him.

However, it was obvious that either Squall was giving him a head start, or she decided to send someone else after Thomas in her stead. Either way, Thomas had to be careful, Kyoto was still new to him, so he was at a disadvantage already.

The boy quickly began to remove his school uniform, revealing his original pilot uniform underneath.

Thomas felt a twinge, and jumped into the air.

Kana lunged from the bushes where Thomas stood, attempting to snatch him.

"Why'd you dodge?!" Cried Kana.

Thomas landed, and gave her visible confusion.

"Shoulda known you wouldn't be subtle after dropping cover."

"D'aw! I missed you too, Tommy!"

"So, I heard you have a sibling, and it wasn't B-S?"

"That's actually true! But I don't wanna spoil the surprise! But...If you wanna come over to my place, meet the family, I'll tell you who~!"

"Hard pass."

"How cruel! So dominating! I LOVE IT!" Kana raced in, her arms wide for a hug.

_Minutes later..._

Thomas was sprinting at top speed through the forest, utterly lost amongst the bases of all the tall tress.

"C'mon Tommy!" Called Kana, "I just wanna spend time with you!"

"Yeah?" Said Thomas, "Then how 'bout a game of Tag, 'cause your it!"

"Alright then! Here I come~!"

Kana lunged for Thomas.

Thomas launched with the Revive's left leg.

"O~oh!" Swooned Kana, "Neat trick!"

Thomas remained silent.

He needed to get above the treetops, so he could get view of one of Kyoto's landmarks and get his location from there. However, if he tried to take flight, Kana would most likely pull him back down. He couldn't risk trying to get his bearings until he lost Kana.

_"Easier said than done."_ He thought, _"Kana's got me in her sights, and seems to find me no matter how far out of sight I am."_

Suddenly, Kana's arm was enveloped with a bright light.

Thomas jumped to avoid getting snatched by the right arm of Kana's IS Unit.

"Wow!" Kana complimented, "So light on your feet!"

Thomas landed behind her, only to have her evade him as he tried to attack.

"You thought that would work?!" Teased Kana, "Don't be dumb! We're pretty much one and the same, anything you think or do isn't going to help you beat me! I know every move you make before you even ma-?!"

Kana was cut short as Thomas delivered the Revive's knee to her belly.

"That punch was pulled," said Thomas, "I was just putting you into a position I could hit you!"

"So...Smart..." Kana said, winded by Thomas's attack.

Thomas used the Revive's knee to launch himself back to the ground. He hit the ground running as Kana crashed to the floor.

Thomas didn't look back.

Nor did he care to.

He was far more pressed with getting his bearings.

Thomas fully-deployed the Revive as he flew out of the forest.

He saw all sorts of lovely and distinctive architecture. However, he had no idea what the buildings were nor did he have a means of figuring out what they were.

_"Maybe I should've taken that brochure at the hotel..."_ Thomas reflected.

Thomas was brought back to reality as he narrowly evaded an oncoming energy bolt.

Sure enough, Kana was now chasing him in her one fully-deployed IS Unit.

He IS had golden antennae, and a white headset. She had to round shoulder pads, and a large and protruding white chestplate to cover her bosom. In one hand, she held a Javelin Lance. In the other, she held a Fusion Cannon.

"So, what's that rig named?" Inquired Thomas.

"This? This's a custom 3rd Gen named the White Wolf!" Cheerfully answered Kana, "But, really, I just gotta know..."

Kana struck a pose from a fashion magazine.

"...Do you like it? I asked Mama to make sure it brings out my best features just for you!"

Thomas simply had to be honest.

"I like the modesty with the chestplate," Said Thomas, "It actually feels like you're trying to protect that area, unlike literally everyone else."

Kana gasped as a wide grin came on her lips.

"Yay! You like it! I'm! So! HAPPY!"

As Kana began to swoon, Thomas began to frantically look as far as his eye could see.

He needed something, anything to go to. His current location just wasn't going to cut it if he wanted to find his way back to the others.

_Elsewhere..._

Madoka hovered in the air, watching over Ichika.

The boy had been sent right into the ground, the Byakushiki's arm being the only thing that saved him from being incinerated.

He wasn't moving in any way.

"Finally..." Madoka said, caressing a locket, "At last, I can fight her..."

She opened the locket, revealing a picture of Chifuyu's face inside.

"...Chifuyu Orimura."

The Kurokishi took off, no doubt to find Chifuyu.

_On the Monorail..._

"Sarashki!" Ordered Chifuyu, "See if you can hack into the Train's mainframe and get it to stop."

"Yes Ma'am!" Said Kanzashi as she pulled up an interface to the train's computer systems.

Suddenly, the interface flashed red.

"What?!"

"What's wrong?"

"I can't get in! The entire system's been compromised!"

Chifuyu grit her teeth.

"They're very thorough."

"Ma'am," Inquired Maya, "What're they after?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's Phantom Task, and they after Scott again."

"Is that why he's missing?"

"I hope not. Scott's able to handle himself, so I doubt he'll come quietly."

Chifuyu once again looked out the window, searching for a sign of either of the boys.

_On the Observation Tower..._

Squall had Tatenashi trapped.

The further Tatenashi struggled, the closer she came to pushing herself off the roof of the tower.

But for some reason, she grinned.

"You won't get a way with this."

Squall chuckled.

"Remember that monorail train all the students are on? I'd almost hate to spoil the surprise, but we might've set a time-bomb on the train while nobody was looking."

Tatenashi's smile crumbled.

"Didn't you hear me from the start? I know for a fact Thomas won't come willingly, he'd just run back home. Like I said, 'If Thomas won't come with us by his own choice, then we'll make sure he has nowhere to go back to.'"

"Damn you..."

"The clock's already ticking! So, what'll it be? Securing Thomas? Or saving your precious little sister? Either way, you can't save them all!"

Tatenashi's grin reemerged.

"Watch me."

Suddenly, Tatenashi exploded into water.

The water turned to mist, and began to coil all over Squall's body.

Squall heard the snap of a finger, and was enveloped in an explosion.

Squall waved the smoke from her face.

"Thanks for the tip, Miss-Crazy-Mommy-Fetish." Tatenashi called.

The older woman reared her head, only to find Tatenashi in the Mysterious Lady, flying in the air above her.

"Don't be that way!" Squall recomposed herself, "After all, you have to admit, Thomas does have quite the charm."

Suddenly, Squall was enveloped in a bright light.

She emerged, piloting a fully-deployed Golden Dawn.

Squall opened fire with twin Plasma Cannons on the Golden Dawn's wrists.

Tatenashi realized Squall wasn't about to let her leave.

She quickly made a call to Kanzashi.

"_Kanzashi!_"

"Big Sister?! What's going on?!"

"_There's a bomb on the train! It's set on a timer! You have to find it, quickly!_"

It was then that a timer popped up on Kanzashi's interface.

"Ma'am!" Cried Kanzashi, "We've got a problem! There's a time-bomb on the train with us!"

"Ma'am!" Offered Elias, "Let me deploy, I'll search for the bomb!"

"No."

"Why not!"

"We can't afford to waste time with a search that has a huge margin for error, you'll wait for my word. In that time, those of you with Personal Units can prepare, while Sarashiki hacks into the train and locates the bomb."

"Y-Yes Ma'm."

_Elsewhere..._

Ichika finally came to.

He shot up, panting heavily.

"I...I have to get to the others!"

Ichika got back up, or at least did his best. Madoka's attack did a serious number on Ichika's whole body, making it hard for him to muster the strength to move quickly. Ichika growled, not letting his weakness get to him.

The boy removed his school uniform, revealing he was wearing his pilot uniform underneath.

"Thomas had it right." He muttered, "I need a full-body suit, it's getting cold."

**"Byakushiki!"**

Ichika stumbled, doing his best not to collapse under his own weight.

Thomas was most likely still missing, and no-one else was around.

Ichika feared the worst.

But he couldn't let it get to him.

"I'm..." Ichika fell, his legs buckling under him.

However, he still persisted.

"I'm...Not a real man...If I let this stop me!"

Ichika fought to his feet, and trudged onward.

_Elsewhere..._

Autumn laughed sadistically.

She fired a round from her Railgun.

"Die, you shit-stains!"

Nana and Houki barely evaded.

**"Akatsubaki!"**

**"Geargaia!"**

Nana was the first to attack. She quickly deployed her Gauss Cannon, and shot Autumn across the nose.

"Why you-!" Snarled Autumn.

Nana fired again.

Autumn dashed to the right as she dodged.

"Think you can keep my precious little Tommy away from me, his mother-to-be?!"

"She's fucking insane!" Nana cried to Houki.

Autumn aimed her Famas, and opened fire.

"Take that! And that! And that!"

She laughed like a maniac as she made Houki and Nana dance.

_Elsewhere..._

Madoka hovered over the downtown area of Kyoto, searching for her quarry.

The Black Knight's helmet scanned the entire area in search of Chifuyu Orimura.

It wasn't long before she found her.

However, before Madoka had the chance to give chase, she heard the propellers of a helicopter nearby.

She turned, to find a massive squadron of military helicopters headed for her.

Suddenly, Production-Model Uchiganes deployed from the choppers, and opened fire with PDWs, raining a hail of bullets upon Madoka. Madoka pulled out the Kurokishi's Buster Sword, and rushed them.

The military pilots didn't stand a chance.

_On the Train..._

"Miss Orimura!" Called Maya, "There's an unbelievably power IS Unit signature heading this way!"

"What?!"

"It's destroying the Military IS Units as it gets closer!"

"Ve must deploy!" Said Laura.

"You're on standby!"

"But-!"

"There will be no appeal."

"_Jah whol_..."

Kanzashi typed as fast as her fingers could possibly go, desperately trying to hack into the train before any more time went down on the time-bomb.

"Miss Orimura!" Called Charlotte, "I've gotten Orimura on the line!"

"Really?" Chifuyu's voice raised in pitch.

"_Miss...Orimura..._"

"Orimura, what happened?" Chifuyu questioned, quickly returning her voice to normal.

"_A...Phantom Task Agent got the drop on me...She's headed right for you!_"

"That explains why you sound tired. Slow down, you'll collapse at this rate."

"_I can't! I'm...Making my way to you...Now..._"

"Stay with me, Orimura! That's an order! You can't possibly fight in your condition!"

"_I'll be fine...Over...And out._"

Ichika disconnected.

"Orimura! Orimura? Dammit!"

Chifuyu gave the phone back to Charlotte.

"Get Scott on the phone. _Now_."

"_Oui_ Ma'am!"

Chifuyu knew for a fact they had to resolve the bomb situation quickly. At this rate, it was obvious Ichika would try to do something stupidly heroic and either get hurt a lot worse than he already was or worse, get killed.

It nearly happened many times before, it would be so easy to happen for real.

Chifuyu didn't know what to do with herself if that were to happen.

_Elsewhere..._

Autumn's laughter echoed as she chased the girls all over.

She wasn't letting up.

"Nana!" Said Houki, "We need to get to the monorail!"

"R-Right!"

"DIIIIIIIIIE!" Autumn grotesquely snarled.

"Does she ever just stop?!" Cried Nana.

Suddenly, Autumn deployed her Railgun, and fired a beam at Nana.

Nana narrowly dodged, and the beam struck the top floor of a temple behind her.

"Oh FUCK!" Cried Nana, "We need to draw her away from everything. It was so beautiful, and now it's all ruined!"

"C'mon!" Ushered Houki, "We need to get higher, she won't damaged anything up there!"

"Good plan!"

The girls flew higher and higher as they made their way to the train.

_Above downtown Kyoto..._

Tatenashi was faring not well at all.

Squall was keeping her stuck, unable to pull away from the fight.

No matter what she tried, Squall seemed to be always 1 step ahead.

"If you've ever squared off against Thomas," Commented Squall, "You just might have a inkling on how to fight me. Unlike Thomas, who lets the prevailing wind guide his every move, I've trained. You've got no chance of beating me!"

Tatenashi wasn't going to let Squall talk her to death.

"Oh yeah? Well..." Tatenashi was doing her best to make a comeback, "Tommy's far more wild! You're ten times slower than him!"

"Nice try," Sneered Squall, "But you're lying to yourself if you thought that was clever."

Tatenashi opened fire with her Gatling Lance.

However, the Golden Dawn was suddenly enveloped in a Bubble Shield!

"What the..."

"Impressed?" Boasted Squall, "My barrier's unbreakable, even for your pitiful Mysterious Lady!"

Tatenashi thrust the Lance at Squall's head the moment she dropped the barrier. However, Squall's arm somehow coiled around the Lance, and Squall quickly turned Tatenashi's own Lance against her!

"How weak." She spat.

The Golden Dawn's tail suddenly pointed its head at Tatenashi, and blasted her with a continuous plasma beam.

And, with one final burst of plasma, Squall had knocked Tatenashi unconscious.

The woman let her foe fall into a river below.

Squall sighed.

"I should check up on Kana." She muttered to herself.

_In the forest..._

Thomas had ducked back into the trees, switching to the Compact Shift for the ability to move without tearing the forest down.

"Ooh~!" Complimented Kana, "Fashionable, yet functional!"

Thomas zipped through the trees.

Soon enough, Thomas had reached a clearing, with a view of downtown Kyoto!

_"That's something I can work with."_ Thomas realized, switching to the Hypervelocity Shift the moment he got clear of the forest.

"Don't run away!" Called Kana, "I wanna play more!"

Thomas was already too far out of earshot to hear her.

Thomas was nearing a skyscraper.

Suddenly, he recalled the Revive as he shot through the air!

"Oh no!" Cried Kana, racing to stop him before he went splat on the side of the building.

However, instead of smashing up against the window, Thomas launched off of it with the Revive's right arm! The window shattered as the repelling force of the Revive's deployment bounced off. Thomas, on the other hand, went into a power dive like a bullet.

_"I see..."_ Reflected Kana, _"He's using the Quantum Conversion of an IS Unit not only as an offensive and defensive, but as a traversal ability too! Wow! He's just super-smart, thinking of things on the fly like that!"_

Thomas began to spin as he spiraled towards the ground.

It didn't take very long for Kana to telegraph Thomas's trajectory, and give chase. Kana switched from a Fusion Cannon to a Heavy Caliber Rifle.

Thomas didn't fully-deploy the Revive again, since that would make a bigger and easier target. And, due to the size, Thomas would be much more aerodynamic if he just kept with deployments.

People on the sidewalks and cars on the streets all stopped and began to gawk at the sight of Thomas zigzagging across the sides of buildings on opposite sides of the street with Kana flying down the middle, a gun in hand.

Thomas was playing with fire. He couldn't afford to stop for a second. His speed only worked as long as he moved in a straight line. If Kana were able to calculate his direction, she could easily intercept.

Thomas bounced from place to place, doing his best to keep ahead of Kana.

Kana, on the other hand, was simply waiting for the right time to shoot.

Sure, she could pluck Thomas out of the air any time she wanted, but Thomas would be able to find a way to counter.

She needed to hit at the right angle to completely throw him off.

Suddenly, Thomas bounced off a building to her right, aiming to launch at the one on her left.

Kana suddenly aimed her rifle at Thomas's destination, and fired.

The round blew off a chunk of the building's corner.

Thomas flinched.

He slipped right through the hole Kana made.

He was in so much trouble.

Kana snagged him out of flight with one hand, and activated a Shock Glove with the other.

She then reluctantly shocked Thomas out cold.

Kana grimaced as she did, not wanting to hurt her precious Thomas.

She then hovered in the air as she cradled the boy in her arms.

"I've always wanted to do this..." She muttered.

"_Kana?_" Squall's voice radioed.

"Yes Mama?"

"_How're things?_"

"Wonderful, Mama! I just got Tommy! Lucky I did, he would've gotten hurt from crash-landing downtown if I didn't catch him!"

"_How horrible! Is he alright?_"

"Mhm. I had to put his to sleep so he wouldn't get all fussy, but he's just fine!"

"_That's good to hear! I've wrapped up things on my end as well, let's wait for Autumn and Madoka._"

"I can't wait to hear from Mama and Little Sister!"

"_That's my girl._"

Kana began to fly over to Squall, with Thomas sleeping in her arms.

_Elsewhere..._

Madoka was quite annoyed with all the Military IS Pilots.

None of them were fit to challenge her, as she kept beating each of them down with one swing each from her Buster Sword. But it was obvious they were all fool-hearty, as they just kept coming without any real strategy.

She pulled out both of her Lancer Bits, and simply blasted the remaining pilots down in one fell swoop.

It was then that she finally say her target with her own two eyes.

The train with Chifuyu Orimura on it.

And it was mere blocks away.

The students on the train witnessed the Kurokishi's display of power.

Many of them were terrified. They didn't even get a very good look at what was responsible for destroying the entire IS Squadron. All they knew was that there was a very deadly IS on the loose.

"The enemy IS signature is right above us!" Called Maya.

Chifuyu raced to the window to get a fleeting glimpse.

"A Black Knight?" She muttered under her breath.

Madoka charged her left Lancer Bit, ready to blow the train to hell.

Everyone began to panic.

Suddenly, a shot emerging from a further point on the train struck the Kurokishi right in the head. This sent the Lancer Bit's shot harmlessly up into the sky, missing the train completely!

It was then that everyone in the train car suddenly felt the wind pulling them to the back of the car!

"Dammit!" Snarled Madoka, reeling from the concussive blow to the head.

Chifuyu looked to the back of the train car, only to find that Elias had opened up the back door, and fired his sniper rifle in between the cars.

"Dansforth! What the hell're you doing?!" Chifuyu questioned.

"Someone hold my legs." Answered Elias, "I have to urge to shoot something."

Charlotte and Laura held Elias by his ankles, and Elias climbed up onto the roof of the train, resting on the edge with he arms.

"Away with you!" Shouted Elias, as he opened fire again.

Madoka did her best to evade. Elias eventually slipped from the girls' grip, and began to stand on top of the train, like a stuntman.

Elias quickly found that the wind made by the train was quite jarring.

"Get back in here, Dansforth!"

Elias couldn't hear Chifuyu over the sound of the rippling air in his face. Elias fired again and again, but he was far too off-balance to land a good shot. Madoka was growing quite irritated, and decided to finish Elias quickly.

Madoka simply swatted him off the train completely.

Elias plummeted to the ground below.

"Elias!" Cried Cecelia, racing to the open door in the hopes of saving Elias before he hit the ground. However, Cecelia was quickly restrained by Laura, Charlotte, and Chifuyu as she struggled and protested that they release her.

Elias narrowly survived, deploying the Knight Gunner moments before he hit the ground. He crashed headfirst, dazed and confused. He remained disabled, trying to recover his senses.

Madoka made a sultry grin under the Kurokishi's helmet.

Chifuyu was finally hers for the taking.

Madoka decided to charge both Lancer Bits.

The students screamed.

Chifuyu grit her teeth.

Madoka nearly fired.

But out of nowhere, the Byakushiki shot through the sky almost too fast for the eye to see!

With a mighty nudge, Ichika rammed Madoka head-on, and knocked her right out of the sky!

"Are you FUCKING SERIOUS?!" Screamed Madoka, as she hit the ground hard.

Ichika turned to the train.

"Is everyone alright?" He called.

"_Ichika!_" Cried the Representative Candidates, "_You're alright!_"

"Sorry for the wait," Apologized Ichika, "But walking it off took a bit longer than I expected!"

Madoka launched back up into the air, furious.

"So," She growled, "You're still not dead, eh?"

"Like _that_ would've killed me." Said Ichika, readying the Yukihira Nagata, "You won't get by me this time!"

"We'll see about that."

With that, Madoka and Ichika clashed, their swords refusing to give.

Ichika then began to push back, and retreat.

Madoka gave chase.

"I'll take care of her, Miss Orimura!"

"See to it that you do. We're counting on you, Orimura." Chifuyu said.

As Chifuyu temporarily disconnected from the call, and sighed in relief.

Ichika was alright.

But she began to worry once more.

Just how much longer would Ichika be alright?

"Ichika!" Houki's voice cackled on the comm, "Me and Nana will meet you there!"

"Has anyone seen Thomas?" Inquired Nana.

"_Negative,_" Answered Chifuyu, "_But we can't worry too much about that right now. We need to take care of our situation, and then we can go look for Scott._"

"Oh..."

"Stay calm," Assured Chifuyu, "_He's a resilient boy, he'll be fine._"

"Nana, watch out!" Shouted Houki.

Nana zipped to the left, narrowly evading a shot from Autumn.

Ichika zoomed through the mountains near downtown Kyoto.

Sure enough, Madoka was so obsessed with killing him first, that she followed quite closely.

Madoka fired away with her Lancer Bit.

Ichika retaliated with his Particle Cannon.

It was obvious Ichika was at a serious disadvantage in a shootout against Madoka, but he carried on with it nonetheless.

Elias was still reeling from his concussion due to falling right on his head.

Thomas was nowhere to be found.

Tatenashi had stopped responding after being cut off.

Nana and Houki were pinned by Autumn.

Ichika needed to do something! But whatever he was going to do, it was obvious the Byakushiki wasn't going to last much longer, as he'd already taken quite the beating from Madoka before.

It was only a matter of time before she'd crush him again.

Houki charged Autumn.

She rammed the woman head-on, forcing her right down to the ground.

"I..." She snapped, "I am in the middle of a fight! My friends' lives are on the line, Ichika's fighting for his life, Elias got messed up, Thomas is missing, and it's getting on all our fears that we might not see any of the boys again!"

Autumn was crushed between the Akatsubaki, and the steps of a shrine.

"Bottom line? You picked the wrong day to pick a fight with ME! Hit it, Nana!"

"Roger!"

Houki jumped out of the way.

Nana had fully-charged her Gauss Cannon. Autumn realized why Nana hadn't been attacking her the whole time. However, the Arachnae was far too damaged and tangled in itself for Autumn to move away!

Nana fired.

The blast completely crushed Autumn.

As the smoke and dust cleared, Autumn sat in an utterly wrecked Arachnae.

Although she was alive, she wouldn't be up and about for a while.

"We have to hurry! If we can make it in time, we can help the others!" Said Nana.

Houki nodded, and the two took off for the train.

_On the train..._

Suddenly, Kanzashi's interface flashed blue.

"I did it!" She said, "The locks are released, we can deploy safely now!"

"Alcott, see to Dansforth," Ordered Chifuyu, "Bodewig, Huang, stop this train! Dunois, locate the bomb!"

"Yes ma'am!" They said as they jumped out of the train and deployed.

Cecelia rushed to Elias's side.

His eyes were shut.

"Oh, Elias," She whimpered, "Why'd you do it? You're not a hero, dammit! You're my...My..."

Cecelia couldn't bring herself to say it.

Elias groaned, slowly coming to.

Laura and Lingyin quickly raced to the front of the train.

They both placed on foot on the rail, and grabbed either side of the train with both hands, igniting their thrusters and pushing against the moving train. After a bit of strain, the girls had slowed the train to a stop.

Charlotte rushed around the train, searching for any sign of the bomb.

"I know!" She said, "I'll tune my scanner to thermite!"

It wasn't very long after Charlotte located the bomb on the middle car of the train.

Ichika was doing his best to fight off Madoka.

Every shot he took kept missing by a wide margin.

Soon, Madoka brought out her Buster Sword, and the two of them clashed, with a brilliant explosion of sparks and light rippling through the sunset sky through the mountains, making for a spectacular light show.

_"A boy who can't protect his sister,"_ Ichika reminded himself, _"Isn't a man in the slightest!"_

Charlotte pried off a vent cover on top of the train car.

The bomb was ticking.

It had less than half a minute to go.

"LAURA!" Shouted Charlotte.

Suddenly, Ichika could hear a massive explosion right behind him.

Ichika whipped around, to find a massive fireball had enveloped the train.

Ichika stared in absolute horror.

_"There's just no way..."_ His mind pieced together.

"NOOO!" He cried.

Madoka smirked, and took advantage of the moment.

With Ichika's back turned, she charged her Lancer Bit.

"Die."

With a powerful, yet precise shot...

...Madoka shot Ichika right through the back and through his belly.

Ichika made no sound from his lips. His eyes shut as he registered the pain for a mere second. The blast from the Lancer Bit cauterized the wound, making it impossible for Ichika to bleed out. Instead, Blood erupted from his mouth as he plummeted to the ground below.

Nana and Houki arrived just in time...

...To watch Ichika die.

"ICHIKA!" Houki screamed with horror.

Houki chased after Ichika's body, desperately trying to save what was left of the one she loved most.

Madoka turned to leave.

Suddenly, Nana pulled out her Gauss Cannon, training it upon Madoka.

"You're not going anywhere, motherfucker!" She shouted.

Had Ichika held on a few seconds longer, he might've what really happened to the train.

The smoke dissipated...

...Revealing the train unharmed, and the AIC's barrier field over the center car.

Just as the bomb went off, Laura had contained the explosion with the AIC, saving the train from utter destruction.

"Too close." Muttered Lingyin.

"Thank God!" Said Kanzashi, in the Uchigane Nishiki.

"Ma'am!" Cried Maya, "We have a serious problem! Orimura is...He's..."

Chifuyu snapped around to face Maya, her face turned white with horror.

Her worst fear came true.

The only saving grace was that she wasn't forced to see it happen.

_"Ichika..."_ Chifuyu's mind was racked with sheer, nullifying shock.

She simply couldn't cope.

Ichika was dead, and Thomas was missing.

Her worst nightmare had finally come true.

Madoka stared Nana down.

"Move." She ordered.

"Nuh-uh!" Nana refused, "You're not going anywhere, after the shit you just pulled! Taking Thomas, giving Elias brain damage, and killing Ichika! I'm gonna fucking beat you till you cry, you salty cunt!"

Madoka smiled.

"I'm gonna enjoy hurting you." She sneered.

Madoka rushed Nana.

Nana flinched, and pulled away, desperately trying to evade Madoka's assault.

But Madoka quickly overwhelmed her, and beat her senseless.

Nana crashed into a large rock.

Madoka spat on the writhing girl.

"Weakling," Said Madoka, "Either come at me if you can actually fight, or hide and pray I don't find you."

Madoka charged her Lancer Bit, and fired.

Charlotte quickly stopped the blast with an Energy Barrier.

"Don't forget about us!"

Suddenly, Madoka was knocked out the air by Elias!

"Come here, you witch!" Elias shouted, snatching Madoka by her shoulders.

He pulled out his Thermal Claymore.

"As you did to Ichika just now," He shouted, "I WILL NOW DO, UNTO YOOOU!"

He relentlessly jabbed Madoka with his blade. The only thing stopping him from running her right through being the Kurokishi's Absolute Defense.

But Madoka still felt it.

Suddenly, as Elias shoved her away, all the remaining Representative Candidates began to attack her all at once.

Overwhelmed, Madoka began to try and flee.

But they weren't letting up on her.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

Ichika laid back in the water.

Where was he?

From the looks of it, he was laying in a liquid so reflective, it was like a mirror of the sunny sky above him, with a scarce few trees randomly strewn about.

Why was he here?

Did he die? If so, then how? What series of events brought Ichika to this strange place?

He didn't remember dying.

The memories flooded back into Ichika's mind as he recollected.

_The Kurokishi evaded the Representative Candidates' attacks with utmost ease._

_Lingyin continued to open fire with her Shock Cannons. __Charlotte deployed both PDWs, and quickly assisted Lingyin. __Nana deployed her Barrage Cannons, trying to catch the Kurokishi with splash damage. Laura fired a barrage with both Railguns. __Elias fired his shoulder-mounted Beam Cannons over and over, trying to knock Madoka out of the air. Cecelia attempt to work with Elias._

_But none of them had landed a single blow._

_Houki laid by Ichika's body, desperately trying to provide power to the Byakushiki with the Akatsubaki's Kenran Butou._

_"Ichika..." She whimpered through her tear-flooded face._

_But as her tears fell, hope once more stirred._

_The Byakushiki began to glow._

_But the glowing quickly ceased._

_After a full minute or mourning, Houki stood up, and took off to join the others._

_Phantom Task would pay dearly for what they'd done._

Ichika tried to remember as hard as he could, but he could not find Thomas.

What happened to Thomas?

Ichika sat up.

He had to find Thomas!

"Don't bother. I'm right here, like I've always been." Snarled a familiar voice.

Ichika turned around...

...To find Thomas, in his fully-deployed Revive.

Oddly enough, Thomas had the Tactical Helmet on, rather than his usual dual-tip antennae. Further stranger, Thomas's Tactical Helmet had a face plate, which obscured his entire face.

Thomas would never normally obscure his entire face.

"Thomas-?!"

Suddenly, the Revive sent out a pulse, and the lovely blue sky began to turn to an ominous purple night.

Thomas's Revive began to change color as well, turning from a forest green to a shadowy black. A dark aura now emanated from the obscured Thomas, his eyes became a beady crimson, flashing through the visor of the Tactical Helmet.

It was Ichika's nightmare.

Without warning, Thomas lashed out at Ichika, wringing him by the neck and effortlessly picking him up with one hand. The boy's grip tightened, and Thomas squeezed Ichika's soft neck like a balloon, confirming Ichika's worst fear.

Thomas was now killing him.

**"Don't struggle...It makes me hate you even more."** Snarled Thomas, his voice distorted to a raspy, terrifying hiss.

Ichika kicked and struggled, but was trying to win a losing battle.

Thomas tightened his grip further.

**"You left me behind!"** Thomas snapped, his hiss turning to hateful emphasis.

"W-What...?" Ichika spat out, gasping for air.

**"We were kids! I promised to never leave you behind! But you went and left _ME_ behind! You never included me with everyone else! You all just fucked off and did your own thing! We were friends! They never cared for me like they did for you, and you forgot all about me! In fact, I can fucking _count_ all the times where they forgot I was even there! Do you have _any_ idea what it's like?! Despite being far worse off, always on the last of everyone's priorities!"**

"I'm...Sorry..."

**"SORRY DOESN'T CUT IT!" **Roared Thomas as he brought in his other hand, and further strangled Ichika.

**"I've struggled all my life! Being tormented for dreaming too big, suffering because I never had the comforts of having a whole family! Everyone lied to me! I'm so fucking sick of being left out to dry with no-one else! I'm jealous of you, dammit!"**

"I didn't..."

**"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"**

Ichika struggled.

He fought as hard as he could.

But it was all for naught.

His vision was going dark.

_"Ichika!"_

Ichika's eyes shot open.

"Ichika!"

Ichika couldn't feel Thomas's hands around his neck, despite seeing they were.

"T...Thomas...?"

Even though the nightmare was before him, Ichika could hear Thomas's voice as it'd always been.

"Don't worry," Thomas's voice assured, "This is just an intensified version of your nightmares. Keep calm, you can lock it down and power on through."

"You sound...Like-"

"-Like I do all the time."

Suddenly, Thomas's real body began to separate and phase out of the nightmare monster. The monster then began to dissipate, and vanish into the darkness, and the two of them were alone.

The boys were both wearing their pilot uniforms.

"Don't worry, it's me. The _real_ me."

"How're you...?"

"I don't know," Confessed Thomas, "I think it's because of the Revive's duplication. It might be bridging our minds together like this. Right now, I'm currently out cold, Kana's got me and I can't wake up."

"Back up a sec, KANA?!"

"Yeah, turns out she was part of Phantom Task all along."

"You've got horrible luck with girls, dude."

Thomas chuckled.

"Seems like I do."

"What're we gonna do? Everyone's fighting for their lives, and Phantom Task'll crush 'em! We have to help!" Said Ichika.

"And we will."

"But how?!"

"Remember? We never stop fighting? That's what we'll do."

Thomas and Ichika paused.

"I'm sorry," Ichika apologized, "For everything."

"Later, Ichika. We don't have time for that now."

"Good luck."

"Same to you."

Ichika and Thomas turned their backs to each other.

"Godspeed..." Started Ichika.

"...You magnificent bastard." Finished Thomas.

* * *

Ichika's corpse began to glow!

Soon enough, the Byakushiki's golden light could be seen through the entire mountain range!

Ichika began to float in the air, his wounds suddenly regenerating! Soon enough, the injuries to both Ichika and the Byakushiki were as though they were never there to begin with! Even the area of Ichika's midsection Madoka had incinerated seemed to return as though it was never even damaged!

The Byakushiki itself began to change!

It began to reshape, as though it were made of liquid! The Byakushiki morphed around Ichika, improving, modifying, changing.

As soon as the shifting stopped, it became obvious to everyone that the Byakushiki had entered its Second Shift!

Ichika's eyes shot open.

_Elsewhere..._

Kana brought her face closer to Thomas's as she cradled him.

She then gave the boy a tender kiss on his forehead.

She sighed.

"I've always wanted to do this..." Kana muttered to herself.

Without warning, Thomas's eyes shot open!

"Tommy! You're awake!"

"Excuse me." Thomas deadpanned.

Suddenly, Thomas delivered a palm strike to Kana's chin, and deployed the Revive's arm right as it connected!

The sheer repulsive force gave Kana a concussion, knocking her out indefinitely!

Kana crashed into the street below.

Thomas fully-deployed the Revive, and began to survey the area, searching for his friends.

_Over downtown Kyoto..._

The girls were putting the hurt on Madoka, not giving her so much as a second to breath without an attack coming her way!

"Remember!" Shouted Elias, "Take heed of your surroundings! Thomas would've!"

They all knew very well Thomas's precision and power. The girls remembered how, each time an attack came Thomas's way, he always find some way to unleash hell, and still not damage the things around him.

Kanzashi fired a barrage of missiles from the Uchigane Nishiki, quickly knocking Madoka senseless!

Houki came in with her Katanas, furiously trying to cut her foe down to size.

Madoka did her best to block, escaping Houki with a few scratches.

Laura quickly snatched and ensnared Madoka in her Wire Daggers and Charlotte unloaded her PDWs into Madoka.

Madoka recovered.

She grabbed the Wire Daggers, and substituted Laura for herself in Charlotte's line of fire.

Cecelia quickly covered her face with a Targeting Visor, and fired away with everything she had.

Madoka deployed an Energy Barrier Shield, and rushed Cecelia.

She kicked the girl in her hip, pricked her in the torso with a Lancer Bit, and sent her crashing with a blow from the hilt of her Buster Sword.

Cecelia plummeted.

However, Elias quickly came to her aid.

He streaked across the night sky, and caught Cecelia bridal style before she went down past the skyline.

Cecelia regained her senses, and realized what Elias did.

Elias currently had a full Tactical Helmet on his head, obscuring his whole face.

Cecelia stared.

Elias was carrying her like a princess.

It felt different than when she did the same for Elias. She felt a little upset back then, disappointed, perhaps envious. However, being carried and cradled by Elias for some reason made her giddy. Her heart beat faster, and she blushed.

She knew they were in a fight for survival, but she couldn't help but feel like a young maiden in love.

A well-placed shot from Lingyin's Shock Cannons sent Madoka to the ground.

Laura seized the moment, and fired both of her Railguns at Madoka, making a large crater.

The fight between IS Pilots had finally reached downtown Kyoto.

People watched from afar as they clashed.

Laura's blast connected, sending the area surrounding the Kurokishi up in flames.

However, Madoka emerged unharmed!

Elias suddenly released Cecelia, who flew back herself, and began to charge all four of his Beam Cannons!

With a roar, Elias fired all of his Beam Cannons into a single, obliterating beam.

The attack was exceeding the Knight Gunner's output safety limits! The Knight Gunner began to cackle with electricity as Elias pushed the IS Unit beyond its very limits! Elias stifled his breathing, as he began to feel the strain.

He pressed on.

"Elias, stop!" Pleaded Cecelia, "The Knight Gunner can't handle that any longer!"

"Whatever that enemy Unit is," Justified Elias, "It's seemingly invincible! I can't afford to take any more chances, it ends NOW!"

"Elias, now!"

Suddenly, the massive energy beam shorted out, as the Knight Gunner's Beam Cannons exploded. The remains of the Cannons trailed smoke into the sky, Elias groaned, and began to drop to the ground below.

Cecelia flew in, and caught Elias as the two of them made an emergency crash on the roof of an office building.

Everyone turned to look where the Kurokishi once stood, a massive cloud shrouding the area.

Suddenly, the cloud parted and dissipated, revealing the Golden Dawn's bubble shield!

Squall had tanked Elias's attack, rendering his efforts utterly pointless!

"Are you alright, sweetie?" Squall cooed, tending to Madoka.

"Get off me!" Snapped Madoka, "I'm fine!"

"Don't struggle, I'm only trying to help. Your other Mama, Autumn is out cold. Those girls really put her through the ringer. And Big Sister Kana's suddenly stopped transmitting, I think Tommy might've raised a fuss."

"Hmph! Not my problem!"

"You fancied him..."

"Sh-Shut up! I'm not a goddamn baby!"

"D'aaw~! You're such a little girl~!"

Madoka growled, and turned away from Squall.

"Now," Assessed Squall, "None of those children have the firepower to get through this barrier. All I have to do is send a big enough pulse, and I can swat them out of the sky in a single swoop. But...That would cause some serious property damage to downtown Kyoto..."

"Why should we care?"

"Because Kyoto's such a lovely-looking place! All this wonderful architecture, it'd be so horrible if it were all destroyed...But, you're right. We should finish them quickly, and go get the others."

The energy field around the two charged, and sent a pulsewave over the Kyoto skyline.

The Representative Candidates were completely winded as they were blasted right out the sky!

The children were all thrown against random buildings.

They couldn't get up after such a devastating attack.

"Dammit..." Houki whimpered.

"It's over! You're precious Ichika is dead, and Thomas can't save you anymore!" Squall shouted.

"OH YEAH?!" Two very familiar voices shouted in unison.

Squall looked to the heavens.

She quickly ate her words.

What she saw was Ichika in the Byakushiki's Second Shift, and Thomas in his Hypervelocity Shift.

_On the train, 5 minutes ago..._

"Ma'am!" Maya cheered.

Chifuyu was simply too rocked by the loss of Ichika to respond.

"It's Orimura!"

Chifuyu quickly snapped to attention.

"What?!"

"It's Orimura! And Scott! Orimura's vitals just jumped across the boards, he's doing better than okay! He's alive! And Scott's suddenly giving a signature, whatever happened, he's on the way now!"

"Thank God...I was so worried..." Chifuyu's voice trembled with emotion.

"Ma'am," Whispered Maya, "Please keep your composure! There are other people in here with us!"

"Sorry...I just...Needed a moment."

"We all do."

_Back over Kyoto, in the present..._

"Thomas, I expected," Squall said, "But Orimura?"

"Can't keep a badass down forever!" Ichika retorted.

"No matter," Said Squall, "All I need is a single second, and I can blow everyone to hell."

"But you won't." Concluded Thomas.

"Thomas," Squall's voice dropped to a tender tone, "Please. Just come with us. I promise, if you come with us right now, we'll leave your friends alone. All we want is for you to come home with us, where you belong."

"'Belong' my ass!" Shouted Thomas, "I don't even know who you are!"

"Not even Kana? Quite a shame. It's so sad that Alex hasn't said anything..."

Thomas flinched.

She knew his dad! Thomas was flushed white with terror.

If he failed here, his dad would be in mortal peril.

"We've got one chance at this, Ichika!"

"We did it before," Remembered Ichika, "But I think now that we've done it once, we got a better idea of what you and I can do. So, let's do this..."

"...Together!" Thomas finished

Thomas and Ichika flew side-by-side as they rocketed at top speed!

The boys made sure to keep up with each other.

Suddenly, the boys deployed both activated their Type 2 Yukihira Nagatas.

They reached top speed as Squall began to charge another pulse.

The boys held their weapons in their right hands.

**"REIRAKU BYAKUYA..."**

Squall fired the pulsewave, her heart wracked with grief over hurting Thomas.

But some things had to be done if they were going to get along.

**"...TIMES TWOOOOO!"**

The boys broke through the pulsewave, as though it wasn't even there!

Further stranger, the two of them began to get closer and closer to each other.

What everyone saw next defied comprehension!

Thomas and Ichika began to overlap, their bodies with beginning to phase into each other! Neither of the boys seemed to notice, however, as they carried on as though nothing had happened! The Revive and the Byakushiki began to mesh and combine!

And in a blinding golden light, the two...

...Had become one.

Squall and Madoka were absolutely baffled!

The fusion of the boys had a single Yukihira Nagata in its hand. And with a mighty thrust, the hybrid entity broke right through Squalls barrier!

With a left haymaker, the being had smashed Squall's helmet to pieces!

Further still, the being rammed Madoka, and took her out of flight!

The entity rushed through the mountain range nearby, streaking through the night with unmatched power! The two brushed the side of a mountain, kicking up a massive cloud of dust!

The fusion pulled back, and broke through the Kurokishi's chest plate with an intense jab!

Madoka watched as her precious locket flew off her neck!

The girl quickly turned away from her foe to grab the locket before it was destroyed!

The being watched with a little curiosity, but further pressed the attack.

Out of nowhere, Squall rammed the hybrid to the ground with another bubble shield!

The IS Unit was enveloped in smoke as Squall cradled Madoka.

"It's okay now," Squall cooed, "Ssh, little Madoka, Mama's here..."

"But...I can still fight..."

"We've done enough for now," Squall whispered, "It's time to go."

With that, Squall carried Madoka in her arms, as she left to go collect her fallen teammates and escape.

The smoke cleared, revealing Ichika and Thomas lying on the ground at opposite ends of the crater. Ichika was on his front, and Thomas on his back.

The boys groaned.

Thomas blinked repeatedly as he slowly got to his feet.

For some bizarre reason, Thomas's right eye was red, while his other eye was blue.

Ichika blinked. His right eye was blue, while his left was red.

After another blink from both boys, their eyes returned to their natural colors.

"Ugh...What happened?"

"Dunno...It felt like I deployed the Revive...But it felt different, like something was tickling my insides..."

The other Representative Candidates quickly located the boys, and flocked to them.

But both Ichika and Thomas were left feeling very weird internally.

"Where's Phantom Task?" Inquired Houki.

"Gone." Answered Thomas, "But I reckon they'll be back."

Ichika looked over his shoulder, seeing the Monorail Train from the IS Academy.

He saw Chifuyu standing next to the train, a loving and approving smile on her face.

Ichika sighed.

He never felt so at ease.

_At the Golden Pavilion of Rokuon-Ji..._

"Very interesting..." Mumbled Tabane, "Wouldn't you agree, Chloe?"

Chloe Chronicle sat beside her.

"Yes Ma'am, a very intriguing development."

Tabane looked once again at the footage.

"That's new," She rambled, "Somehow, Ichi-Kun and Tommy-Kun managed to fuse their bodies and IS Units together on the atomic level...They merged. And, I bet their IS Units bridged together, and made a stronger one."

Tabane turned off the footage.

"I wonder if Chi-Chan enjoyed my little gift, the Kurokishi...I bet she did!"

Chloe nodded in agreement.

"But that was really something, wasn't it? After all these years, I never expected to see Kana-Chan! She's so grown up. And, more than that, she seemed to know so much more about little Tommy-Kun than I thought she would! And Madoka! Chi-Chan's little sister, so many strange and wonderful things all at once!"

Tabane stared into the night sky.

"And the best fun's yet to come..."

* * *

_Later, at the hotel..._

"Fucking finally..." Thomas moaned as he sat in the bath.

"Outdoor baths are the best!" Yawned Ichika.

"I actually touched Lady Cecelia like that..." Elias whispered, his eyes wide with shock.

"Look at that," Chuckled Thomas, "Elias finally put some moves on Cecelia!"

"Wonderful!" Said Ichika, "How long before they hook up?"

Elias was far too shocked to respond.

"What happened today seemed so unreal!" Said Ichika.

"Believe it." Said Thomas.

The boys suddenly started thinking.

"That locket..." Ichika muttered.

"You saw it too?"

"Yeah...Weird. It had Chifuyu's picture in it."

"The plot thickens."

_In the bar..._

"It's so late already." Said Maya.

Chifuyu was far too distracted, thinking of what she saw.

"They...Merged..."

"Did you say something, Ma'am?"

"Never you mind. It's been a long day."

"I'm just glad everyone's okay, it got kind of bad back there, with Orimura and Scott. Lucky for us, they showed up when they did."

"I'm not."

"Hm?"

"We're going to be writing reports for a while because of this. And don't even get me started on the PR mop-up..."

"Mind if I join you?"

Chifuyu and Maya turned, to find Alex standing behind them.

"Mr. Scott? When did you get here?"

"I've been here the whole time."

"Then you saw-"

"I did. And as much as I worried...I knew that those boys would be fine. After all, Thomas is my kid, he's an unkillable bastard that can always pull a win from defeat. And Ichika's immortal, you couldn't kill him, even if he died."

"Well, you took too long," Said Chifuyu, "I'm going to drink, and I'm going to bed. If you're starving for a talk, make it quick."

Alex smiled.

"You're too young to be drinking." He said, taking a bar stool next to the women.

"Says you, old man." Chifuyu retorted, right before downing a glass of alcohol.

The three downed their drinks and talked freely.

_Back in the baths..._

"I'm telling you, she was friggin' psycho!"

"No way dude!"

"And then there was that scorpion lady, whipped my ass while everyone was headed for Kiyomizu Temple!"

"That's where you were?"

"Speaking of which," Said Thomas, "We need to find the camera before dad finds out."

"How do you know about that?!" Cried Ichika, "I didn't even say anything about that!"

"I...I don't know...Weird..."

"Eh, let's go get it now."

Thomas and Ichika prepared to get out.

"Wow! This bath is so huge!" They heard a girl say.

Thomas and Ichika whipped around to the door of the dressing area, their eyes bulging.

Elias was still in shock.

Ichika and Thomas were throwing angry hand signs at each other to communicate.

_"Fuck! The girls're coming!"_

_"But why?!"_

_"How should I know!"_

_"Quick! We need to get out of here!"_

_"The only exit that doesn't involve something stupid would be the dressing area!"_

_"We're dead! They're gonna beat us down!"_

_"We can hide!"_

_"Are you fucking retarded?"_

The boys turned back to the dressing area.

The silhouettes of girls could be seen approaching the door to the bath.

Ichika and Thomas looked to each other.

They picked up Elias, and threw him over the fence on the opposite part of the bath.

The boys began to scale the fence themselves, but neither could get a grip.

Ichika ran right back into the bath, and hid behind a rock.

Thomas ran for the door, and jumped.

The Representative Candidates walked out into the open-air baths.

"A bath under the stars, huh?" Said Houki, "Wish I could do this with Ichika..."

"Let's go in!"

The girls all got into the bath.

Ichika held his breath, and prayed.

"That fight was hectic!" Said Nana, stretching her arms.

"Tell me about it. It was touch-and-go, after watching Ichika go down hard like that..."

"Where was Thomas?"

"Apparently, Phantom Task was trying to abduct him again."

"We failed to protect them...Even after we vowed to do so..."

Thomas laid on the roof, his entire body flat against the tiles. Thomas was beginning to sweat, despite the chilly air. His clothes were in the dressing area, and there was no way Thomas could sneak his way in without getting spotted by someone.

Ichika faced a similar problem.

He did his best, and fought to stay conscious, despite not taking a single breath of air. All it would take was a single, curious girl to come over around the rock, and his cover would be blown wide open.

"Houki, have your boobs grown again?"

"Huh?!"

"Can I touch 'em?"

"N-No!"

Something forbidden to Ichika's sight and mind was happening right behind his back.

Thomas had a very clear view of the bath from the roof. He immediately turned his head the other way the moment he saw Tatenashi walking towards Houki with grabby hands.

Ichika tried to meditate.

_"I am one with the rock...I'm the best rock that ever was..."_

Ichika slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

He failed to become one with the rock.

"Huh?"

"What's that?"

"OHMIGOD! Ichika?!"

"What the actual fuck?!"

"He's drowning!"

"Oh shit!"

"Why couldn't it have been Elias?!" Cried Cecelia.

The girls all turned to Cecelia with confused looks on their faces.

"What?" Cecelia inquired.

The girls did their best not to look at Ichika's privates as they pulled him out of the water.

_Later..._

"Here it is!" Ichika called, holding up the camera he'd lost earlier.

"Oh thank fuck! Dad would've gone nuts if he found out we lost it."

"Weird though," Observed Ichika, "How'd you know it was gone? I never said anything about it until you brought it up."

"I really don't know." Said Thomas, "I just...suddenly remembered it. And that IS, the...Kurokishi? The Kurokishi blew me up."

"The Kurokishi blew _me_ up, not you..."

"I don't know what's going on," Said Thomas, "But I think some freaky stuff went down when we did the Reiraku Byakuya."

"Well, for what it's worth," Said Ichika, "Sorry, for everything."

"What're you talking about?"

"You're right: Everyone tends to forget about you sometimes. But today? While you were gone, everyone was worried about you. We all feared the worst when we knew Phantom Task was here."

"...Thanks. It's good to know there are people who care."

Ichika rested his hand on Thomas's shoulder.

"We'll always care. You're our friend...Even if we all forget that sometimes. You're not alone anymore. Just-woah, dude!"

"What?"

"What's wrong? You're crying!"

Thomas rubbed his finger under his eye, and realized tears were streaming down his face.

"Funny," Thomas observed, "Why _am_ I crying?"

Ichika sighed.

Thomas really was like a child sometimes.

And the Representative Candidates were pretty much the family he never had.

Ichika and Thomas went back to the others as soon as Thomas stopped crying.

Oddly enough, Thomas finally began to see all the care everyone really had about him. They all genuinely loved him for whom he was, taking time out of their own to give him a warm welcome.

After the fight with Phantom Task drew to a close, Thomas was simply overwhelmed with concern by his fellow classmates, as it was quite obvious that Phantom Task was after Thomas all along.

It was probably his problem, but just when he thought there was no-one to help him, Thomas opened his eyes and realized that the IS Academy was always there to pick him up and get him back on his feet if he fell down.

Thomas didn't know what he'd do without them.

* * *

**A/N: At long last! I've wanted to do this for such a long time. After hinting to it back in Chapter 22, I was so glad I was able to reveal a very special thing for Thomas and Ichika. One of readers' main concerns about American Idiot is that Ichika would become an abstract character entirely. That is not the case. In fact, it's very much the opposite.**

**But this chapter is the start of Thomas and Ichika's journey as best friends and teammates.**

**Anyway, in terms of chronology, I guess this is pretty much what one would call the "End of Season 1."**

**I've had a lot of fun making this story so far. But like Tabane said, "The best fun's yet to come."**

**Hope you all enjoyed this. I'll be taking a short break so I can give my other stories some attention, but you can bet I'll be back soon! There's so many more adventures awaiting the Representative Candidates, and it'll be quite the boon!**

**Anyway, it's time for Kana's IS Unit!**

**Kana's IS is the White Wolf, an incomplete Prototype 3rd Generation IS Unit currently oriented to close-quarters combat.**

**The White Wolf is designed with twin golden antennae, and a full-cover Tactical Helmet. It's current armaments are a Javelin Lance, a Fusion Cannon, a Laser-Edge Greatsword, and a Heavy Semi-Automatic Caliber Rifle.**

**As it was stolen from the United States during development, it is incomplete and therefore had to be given any weapon available by Phantom Task. Although it is formidable as it is, Phantom Task is currently working to improve and complete the prototype.**

**It's design was inspired by the 4th Form Gundam Barbatos from _Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans_.**

**Next Time: World Purge Part 1.**

**On a rare day off, the Representative Candidates are able to unwind!**

**Ichika takes a trip to Kuromochi Machinery Development, the place his IS Unit was built!**

**Chifuyu sends Thomas on a day-trip to the mainland.**

**However, it isn't very long before everything goes awry.**

**The IS Academy is under attack from an outside hacker, sending everything into chaos! The girls all perform a cyber-dive into the World Purge to fix the problem!**

**However, they too are under attack.**

**With little time and danger lurking about, can everyone salvage things and remedy the situation?**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated, and show that you care!**


	28. What are you thankful for?

**After finishing the last chapter, I realized I felt like doing a Thanksgiving chapter, so I'll post this one before I get on with World Purge, hope you all enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**Ichika wakes up one morning to find Thomas scrambling to make food!**

**When he asks why, Ichika discovers it's Thanksgiving!**

**Thomas wants to show everyone a happy Thanksgiving feast, but tries to do all of the work into arranging it all by himself! With all the stress and disaster right around the corner, can Thomas bring everyone together for a tradition that isn't theirs?**

* * *

Ichika slept peacefully in bed.

At least, until he smelled the scent of food.

Ichika shout up like a spring, and opened his eyes...

...To find Thomas working in the mini-kitchen of their dorm room.

Thomas was wearing an apron, and oven mitts as he slaved over the oven. Pots and pans were everywhere as Thomas made a culinary mess. Thomas yawned. Ichika looked closer, to find that Thomas didn't look very well-rested.

"Thomas? What's going on?"

"Thanksgiving's in a week."

"The American Tradition? I totally forgot! Sorry man."

"No need, I got this."

"Wait. Just how much food are you gonna cook? We've got the entire IS Academy!"

"Now _there's_ an idea..."

"Hold on. Don't tell me you're gonna single-handedly cook a Thanksgiving potluck for the entire IS Academy!"

"I'll get dad to help."

"Why only the two of you? You're gonna need all the help you can get!"

Thomas stopped, as he opened the oven to pull out a tray of turkey slices.

"I mean," Muttered Thomas, "Not a great deal of people here really know about what Thanksgiving is, let alone what is involved with a Thanksgiving feast. Here, taste-test this for me."

Thomas handed Ichika a slice of turkey.

Ichika ate it, letting the juices soak the inside of his mouth.

"Wow! This is so savory! You're up there with Lingyin and Houki's cooking!"

"It's good then."

Thomas stretched his back, making an uncomfortably audible series of cracks.

"How long have you slept?" Ichika inquired, dreading what Thomas would say.

"Exactly four hours."

"What?! That's way too short! You need to-Aw crap! We gotta get to class!"

"Shoot, you're right! Hold on-I need to set the slow-cooker."

Ichika quickly got dressed, and ran out the door. By the time he did, he saw Thomas beginning to change.

_"Godspeed, Tommy."_ Ichika thought.

Thomas flinched.

"Why did I just think that?" He pondered.

* * *

_In Class 1..._

Thomas just barely got through the door of the classroom as the bell sounded.

He crashed into his chair, out of breath and utterly worn out.

"Cutting it close are we, Scott?" Chifuyu judged.

Thomas was far too winded to respond.

"I get that you're still recovering from that incident in Kyoto, but that's no excuse for you to cut classes. Now sit down and pay attention!"

"Yes...Ma'am..."

Thomas eventually recovered from the sticky dryness in his mouth, but not after a dangerous period of time he was on the verge of falling asleep in Chifuyu's class. Considering how Chifuyu could be, doing such was a very dangerous and suicidal move.

Thankfully, Thomas didn't really have to do anything in Practical Training that day.

Thomas walked back to his room, more weary and worn than usual.

But everywhere he went, he was greeted with concern regarding the Kyoto Incident.

By the time Thomas reached his dorm room, all he could think about was what he learned during the Kyoto Trip. Most kids learned about the architecture and history, but Thomas learned just a little bit more about his heritage.

So far, Thomas had learned some very interesting things about his mother.

Her name was Ellen Scott, and she was a super-soldier, who'd passed on her enhancements to Thomas. Currently, that's all Thomas knew.

But he couldn't help but feel that Alex and Chifuyu knew more.

Squall admitted that she knew more, but would only say anything if Thomas agreed to submit to her. However, this still meant that Squall could be lying, just for the sake of getting Thomas to come with her.

Thomas continued to work in the kitchen as he thought.

Suddenly, Tatenashi burst through the door.

"Oh boys~!" She cooed, "Wait, where's Ichika?"

"Busy with materials. Chifuyu put him up to it."

"Boo...What're you up to?"

"Trying to work on Thanksgiving stuff."

"Hey...Ichika told me about that earlier. Isn't that the thing when Europeans and Native Americans came together for a feast?"

"Yeah-He did?"

"He also told me about your lack of self-care."

"Dammit..."

"Either way, you shouldn't stress so much about it! One order from me and we can have an official event! If we do, you won't even have to lift a finger!"

"Well," Said Thomas, "That would kinda kill the tradition of it."

"How so?"

"I mean, just giving up on the effort would just dumb Thanksgiving down to an event. What I want to do is show everyone the tradition behind it, coming together to give thanks to what we have."

"I think you just want to ease everyone's nerves after the whole Kyoto thing was disclosed. Everyone's been worried ever since they found out you boys were involved..."

"That too."

Tatenashi slipped a slice of turkey.

"Savory~!" She swooned as she trotted away.

Thomas chuckled as he returned to his task.

_Elsewhere..._

"Ma'am," Said Maya, "I have the results and everything you asked for."

"What exactly happened?" Chifuyu said, looking over a set of notes.

"As strange as it seems," Said Maya, "It appears that Orimura and Scott's GPS coordinates are..."

"Well?"

"...They're...The exact same."

"What?"

Maya handed Chifuyu more notes.

"They're GPS coordinates are the exact same from here, to here." Maya said, pointing to a line she'd marked.

"How could that be?"

"I've gotten recordings from the other Representative Candidates," Said Maya, "But the footage is far too messy to get a clear picture right now, so we'll have to enhance the image, which will take some time. On top of that, I have the medical examination you requested for the boys as well. Dansforth appears to have no lasting injuries, thankfully. But, Orimura and Scott..."

"What? What did the results say?"

"Both Orimura and Scott have identical injuries. They mirror each other in every detail."

"Why is that?"

"We don't know."

Chifuyu paused.

"See to it we get a clear image. I want to know exactly what happened to Orimura and Scott."

"Of course, Ma'am."

Maya went off to oversee the processing of the footage, leaving Chifuyu to think by herself.

She was worried.

The boys were both in mortal danger that night, and it nearly drove the woman insane. It was bad enough Ichika was beaten badly, and that Thomas had been in the enemy's clutches. But the worst of it came from the fact that both situations happened simultaneously.

She wanted to make sure the two of them were still okay.

Ichika, somehow, had managed to push the Byakushiki into Second Shift. However, due to lack of proper engagement, Ichika didn't have an opportunity to deploy the Byakushiki ever since the end of the fight over Kyoto, and still had yet to do so.

Thomas, despite having the Shift Switch function, had yet to follow Ichika and attain the Second Shift with the Revive. It was also possible that, due to Tabane's modifications to a Production Model, the Revive was permanently unable to attain Second Shift, due to the Shift Switch.

Chifuyu thought back to the final moments in the battle.

Maya's monitor went haywire some time after Ichika and Thomas engaged. The vital signs of both boys went erratic had suddenly crashed the program completely, so Maya and Chifuyu were unable to see what was going on.

Chifuyu, however, decided to look out the window.

She couldn't believe what she saw then, and she still couldn't.

As much as she wanted to, she stopped herself from hugging either of the boys until they suffocated.

Chifuyu then recalled a detail she ignored earlier.

When Ichika and Thomas returned from the fight, Chifuyu was quite confused.

Their injuries were the exact same, in every detail.

And, for a few minutes, they were finishing each other's sentences.

It seemed strange, a little funny even, but nobody really paid attention at the time.

Chifuyu got out of her chair.

She needed to pay the boys a visit.

Not as an Instructor concerned for her students, but as an Older Sister worried about her brothers.

* * *

Ichika opened the door to the dorm room...

...To find Thomas resting as he leaned himself against the fridge.

"Where's all the Thanksgiving stuff?" Ichika inquired.

"In the fridge. Just takin' a short break."

"Better than no break at all."

The boys heard a knock on the door.

"Oh, Miss Orimura." Said Ichika.

"Boys," Said Chifuyu, as she stepped in and closed the door, "I want to talk to you, both of you."

"What about?"

"Do you...Recall the ending of the fight over downtown Kyoto?"

"What about it?"

"Can you describe exactly what it was you did?"

"Well...We're still trying to figure that out ourselves."

"Oh? How so?"

"Me and Ichika can both do the Reiraku Byakuya, an' we figured it was the best way to crack open that energy barrier of theirs. But when we did, things got kinda fuzzy after, and we both woke up feeling weird."

"I see...Well, I'm just glad you both came out safe and sound."

Ichika and Thomas flinched.

"You only say stuff like that when you're apologizing after life-threatening stuff." Blurted out Ichika.

Ichika earned himself a chop to the scalp.

"He's not wrong." Agreed Thomas.

Thomas received a slap to the face.

"Anything else?" Questioned Chifuyu.

"No Ma'am." The boys said in unison, nursing their respective wounds.

Chifuyu blinked and quickly went to the fridge. She opened the door to find Thomas's Thanksgiving food supply.

"Is this why you were late to class today?"

"Yeah..." Groaned Thomas.

"Thanksgiving? Really? For who?"

"The entire Academy."

Chifuyu turned to look at Thomas with visible confusion on her face.

"Don't joke."

"I'm not."

Chifuyu delivered a chop to Thomas's head.

"Are you an idiot?!"

Thomas was nursing his head and couldn't respond.

Chifuyu sighed.

"You can't possibly cook a Thanksgiving potluck in this room."

"But-"

"You can use the kitchens in the cafeteria after classes. I'll go notify the cooking staff."

"Really?"

"Just don't overdo it. Ichika, if you think Thomas is in over his head, lend him a hand."

"Yes Ma'am."

With that, Chifuyu left the boys to themselves.

* * *

In the days that came, people began to notice Thomas had been appearing less and less in public.

Girls began to voice their concerns.

The Representative Candidates, who vowed to protect the boys, were very anxious about Thomas's absence.

Ichika told them the situation, only to be met with confusion.

Thanksgiving was an American Tradition, so some of the girls had no clue what Ichika was talking about.

"Vhat ish Zhanksgiving?" Inquired Laura.

"I've never really heard of it before..." Said Kanzashi.

"Oh right! I forgot Thomas celebrates that." Said Lingyin.

"Wow...That's some serious conviction!" Said Nana, imagining the sheer size of the IS Academy.

"He never really told me the whole history," Realized Ichika, "What exactly is the whole thing behind it?"

"Well," Said Nana, "Back in the day, there were a group of Christians who left England to avoid religious persecution. They went into the 'New World'-That being the soon-to-be officially-named America-and settled. They all almost died right off the bat, 'cause they landed during winter, and a majority of them got sick or died. But, they survived thanks to the help of Native Americans nearby. After, they all got together and had a big feast to give thanks for their good fortune, hence why it's called 'Thanksgiving.'"

The group all made a collective "Ah" in understanding.

"It kinda shits on England, so I know for a fact it's not a UK thing."

"Speaking of that," Noted Ichika, "Where's Elias and Cecelia?"

"Cecelia said she had some training exercises for Elias." Said Charlotte.

"Pfft! She's just making an excuse to put the moves on him!" Sneered Lingyin.

"And Thomas is trying to make the entire thing?!" Cried Ichika, "Either he's confident, or he's insane!"

"You've known him for years," Giggled Nana, "You should've figured out by now he's obviously both!"

Lingyin got a mischievous look on her face.

"So," She said smugly, "Who else wants to go see this?"

The girls all nodded, curiosity all over their faces.

Ichika sighed in defeat.

"Alright, c'mon." He groaned, leading the girls to the cafeteria.

_In the __kitchen..._

"I'm Ichika Orimura, the Student Council Vice President." Ichika declared to the cooking staff.

Tatenashi had appointed him to the position of Vice President on the Student Council after the school festival, so she could keep better tabs on Ichika and Thomas.

It also gave Ichika a few added perks.

The cooking staff let the students into the kitchen. All manner of scents and aroma pierced their nostrils as they watched cooks working diligently left and right, with food of all kinds to be prepared and stored for meal times.

Amongst the bustling kitchen, stood Thomas as he worked an entire area by himself.

In the mere days he'd begun doing his work in the IS Academy kitchens, he'd amassed quite the amount of food on his own. racks upon racks of trays were on the side, and Thomas was hunched over on a stool, panting in exhaustion.

"Wow...There's...More than thirty-five trays of food?!" Cried Lingyin, not even I could do that much!"

Thomas wiped sweat off his forehead, and jumped back to his feet as he quickly scrambled back to work.

Ichika approached.

"Hey, dude..." He reasoned.

"Hey guys!" Thomas waved nonchalantly as he greeted without turning away from his work.

"Don't you think you need to slow down?"

"M'fine. After all that crap in Kyoto, I gotta show everyone I can still take it in stride!"

Ichika then noticed that Thomas's fingers weren't as stable as they usually were. His fingers were all weary and worn, slower, yet still trembling as though he were anxious for some reason.

Thomas picked up a tray to place on a rack, the tray was noticeably shaking in his hands.

The group got a good look at Thomas's face.

The bags under his eyes got a lot deeper and darker, he looked quite pale, exhausted. It was obvious he was trying to suppress his misery. Through the aroma of food around him, the group could smell he hadn't washed himself in quite some time.

"Just out of curiosity," Said Ichika, "How long have you been doing this?"

"Whenever I'm not around since the start of the week."

"I see..." Ichika trailed off, clearly unnerved.

Ichika quickly turned to the girls, signaling them it was time to go.

When the group finally left the kitchen, they all began to discuss what they'd seen.

"He's practically killing himself!" Started Lingyin.

"I'm a little scared," Admitted Kanzashi, "He's done this since Monday..."

"Alzhough conviction isn't a bad zhing," Said Laura, "Zhere's a difference between perseverance and suicide, and this counts as a very long and protracted suicide!"

"He needs someone to help balance things out!" Stated Charlotte, "Everyone saw how horrible he looked, no?"

The group all agreed.

"Alright," Said Ichika, "We'll stage an intervention when he gets back to the dorms tonight. Wanting to prove something or no, we can't just let him go through with this. Not like this, at least."

The group all grunted in agreement.

With that, they all went down to the boys' dorm room to wait.

_Later that night..._

"Hey," Said Lingyin, "What time is it?"

The girls had spent the rest of the day sitting and waiting for Thomas in Ichika's dorm room. To pass the time, they did everything from playing video games, watching anime, talking about almost anything they could think of.

The sun had gone down and the sky was pitch black.

But Thomas still hadn't returned.

Everyone was beginning to get worried.

"It's...11:30?!" Cried Kanzashi, looking at the time on her holo-screen.

"Ugh," Groaned Ichika, "He must've lost track of time or something."

"This is too far!" Snapped Nana, "If that idiot doesn't want a full eight hours of sleep, we'll just have to make sure he can't wake up until he does!"

Ichika looked at Nana, unnerved.

"But what about Tradition and all that?" Ichika said.

"There's a fine line between being proud of tradition and being fucking stupid!"

Nana marched out the door, thoroughly done with Thomas's self-destructive behavior.

The students in the room all looked at each other, and nodded in agreement.

"If he doesn't kill himself," Lingyin said, getting up, "I'm thinking Nana will."

"We should go with her, make sure nothing happens." Said Ichika.

With that, Ichika ushered everyone out of the room as they quickly caught up with Nana.

The group hurried down to the cafeteria.

None of them understood what was going on.

The cafeteria was currently empty, albeit for the light in the kitchen.

Since Thomas had been allowed full access to the kitchens, it was obvious he'd exploit the hell out of such an opportunity for his quest. Since it was almost midnight, the cooking staff had retired, most likely letting Thomas continue until he reached a reasonable stopping point.

Key word "Reasonable."

However, when the group walked towards the kitchen, they felt a strange sense of foreboding.

Where was this apprehension coming from?

The lights inside the kitchen were on, the door was wide open, but the strange aspect was that the sounds of culinary work one would expect to hear in a kitchen weren't there. In face, the kitchen was dead silent.

But why? Thomas would've made a racket, considering the amount of effort he was putting in to make this Thanksgiving feast.

Did Thomas leave?

The group slowly crept up to the open door.

Their anxiety was at its limit.

"Thomas?" Called Ichika.

There was no response.

Nana, fed up, marched right into the kitchen.

"Alright, numbnuts!" She snapped, "You better have a-OHMIGOD!"

The others quickly rushed in to see what Nana was reacting to.

What they found was a tray and spilled mashed potatoes on the floor...

...And Thomas comatose on the ground.

* * *

"Miss Orimura! Please, open up!" Ichika knocked furiously on the door to Chifuyu's room.

Chifuyu grumbled to herself as she went to the door.

"What could you possibly be doing at this time of night?!" Chifuyu snapped as she opened the door, ready to clap Ichika over the head.

"It's Thomas, Ma'am!" Cried Ichika, "He's..."

"He's what?"

"He..."

"Spill it."

"He's collapsed, and he won't wake up!"

Chifuyu stared in disbelief.

She really should've foreseen this.

"THAT DEAD MOTHERFUCKER!" Shouted Chifuyu as she followed Ichika to the Infirmary.

_In the Infirmary..._

Chifuyu didn't know whether to be worried or angry.

Currently, she was both.

Acting quickly the group carried Thomas to the Infirmary and got him in a bed.

"Well," The Nurse diagnosed, "He collapsed from exhaustion. Right now, his hands are-what the medical term?-_Utterly destroyed_ by his little Thanksgiving passion-project. Right now, he's got a high stress-induced fever, and he's malnourished. At best, He'll be fully-recovered in he spends a while in bed and doesn't do anything."

"This is my fault," Muttered Chifuyu, "I didn't set very good limits on him, and he took it too far."

"We're also to blame," Admitted the students, "We were gonna intervene when he got back, but we didn't think he was approaching his limit. We should've put our foot down harder..."

"What're we gonna do now?" Said Ichika, "Thanksgiving's only two days away!"

The group all looked to each other for an answer.

"I say we finish the job!" Declared Lingyin, putting her fist in her hand.

"Wha?!"

"Think, people! Thomas put his blood, sweat, and tears into cooking! You all saw his miserable he looked! We didn't do the right thing by letting him be, and we gotta find a way to make it right!"

"I say we cook so much," Said Charlotte, "Thomas would be too shocked to be thankful!"

"Yeah!" Everyone else agreed.

"Hold it." Snapped Chifuyu.

Everyone then began to sink into despair, thinking Chifuyu would shut them down.

"Just make sure to be safe. The _last_ thing we need is for everyone to wind up in the Infirmary with Scott."

"Yes Ma'am!" The students acknowledged in unison.

They all felt pumped and ready to begin the task right then and there.

However, due to how late it was, they all passed out the moment they entered their rooms.

* * *

_That morning..._

Ichika yawned as he reached the kitchen.

He was going to prepare for the arduous hours of cooking for Thanksgiving.

However, when he opened the door, he gasped as he found Thomas...

...Mopping up the mess he'd made as he collapsed last night.

Thomas's hands and fingers were wrapped in bandages and he was moving gently and slowly. He was shirtless, wearing his uniform pants and shoes. His pants slipped down his waist, exposing the top of his boxers.

"THOMAS?!"

"Morning."

"WHAT'RE YOU DOING?! You need to get to bed!"

"I will."

"Then go! After you collapsed, you really can't be doing this!"

"I know, and I won't."

"What does that mean?! You're just gonna break yourself!"

Thomas sighed.

"The only things I'm doing are writing down instructions and mopping up this mess, hand me the trash can?"

"What?"

"Ichika," Groaned Thomas, "I'm not senile or stupid beyond my limits. I know how crippled I am right now, and I promise, when I'm done here-which won't be too long-I'll go right to bed."

"Really?"

"Sure, I'm arrogant and a stubborn sunvabitch, but I'm not an idiot. A lot happened in Kyoto, I've grown, you've grown, we _all_ grew a little. But I finally figured out how to do something I've been unable to do for the longest time."

"What's that?"

"I've learned to trust in others."

Ichika stared, surprised by Thomas's maturity.

"There's no way I can finish this myself, and I can't even do anything at all now. But the irony is that I only learned to accept other people when I'm sidelined completely. Now, again, trash can?"

"Oh-right!"

Ichika quickly retrieved a nearby trash can, and presented it to Thomas.

Thomas slowly emptied the mess of spilled food into the trash can, and went to return the broom to the supply closet.

"Anyway," Said Thomas, "I left recipes and instructions on the table, you'd best make use of them if you'd be willing to finish all this for me."

Ichika stared.

Thomas then began to slowly walk back to the Infirmary before anyone noticed he left.

He was utterly dumbstruck.

Thomas had obviously become suspicious of everything and everyone ever since they'd separated. He developed trust issues and became wary of people he'd call friends. Seeing Thomas act so trusting and actually let people meddle with his work was so unnatural.

It wasn't long before the other Representative Candidates arrived, wondering why Ichika looked flabbergasted.

Upon hearing about Thomas's condition, several more First-Year students gathered to help in any way they could. Following the recipes Thomas had left, they worked in rotations to evenly spread out the workload.

Thomas would've been stunned.

Many of the girls didn't really understand the meaning behind Thanksgiving, but they worked diligently to prepare a feast for the entire IS Academy.

* * *

_2 Days later..._

Thomas yawned as he woke up.

He really didn't want to get out of bed.

After wasting a lot of time with Thanksgiving affairs, the bed suddenly seemed far warmer and more inviting to him.

"Tommy!" Called Ichika.

Thomas groaned, pressing himself deeper into the bed.

"Wake up!"

Thomas refused to budge.

Suddenly, a fusillade sounded off right in Thomas's ear. Sounds of missiles and bullets instantly snapped Thomas out of his dreamy haze. Thomas instantly sat up, winded by the sounds of explosions and gunfire rocking his eardrums.

Ichika stood at his bedside, he pressed the pause button on his phone.

"C'mon," Said Ichika, "It's time to get to class."

Thomas groaned as he rubbed his ears.

It was quite hard for Thomas to button upon his blazer, and the boys decided to leave it be. Ichika ushered Thomas to class, staying by his side to ensure he didn't fall over or push himself.

The boys, after a great deal of time, finally reached the classroom.

"By the way," Thomas inquired, "How'd all that go? I mean, with cooking and everything?"

"About time you asked."

"And you now have to answer."

"Well...I'm not entirely sure..."

"Oh?"

Ichika opened the door to Class 1 for Thomas.

"Is this what you wanted?"

The class erupted with greetings for Thomas.

The entire classroom had been decorated with a Thanksgiving theme.

Chifuyu, oddly enough, greeted Thomas with a warm smile.

"You better be thankful," She chuckled, "Or I'll crush you when you finish recovery."

Thomas was dumbfounded.

"W-What...?"

"Well," Said Ichika, "We made sure to do our best and follow the instructions and guidelines you gave us. Plus, we took the liberty of looking stuff up online, hope you like it and everything!"

"But..."

"Oh, yeah. Chifuyu went through a lot to make this a day-off for everyone, so we can all enjoy Thanksgiving!"

"We all heard about how much you put into this, so we wanted to help!" Cheered Honne.

"Ichika told us about you leaving this to us," Complimented Houki, "That was...Uncharacteristically mature of you."

"Says you." Giggled Thomas.

"Hey!" Houki pouted.

"D'aw~!" Ichika chuckled, "Lighten up, Houki Pouki!"

"I-Ichika! Don't call me that!"

The entire class perked up, realizing they now had a cute nickname to embarrass Houki with.

"D-Damn you, Ichika..." Houki growled, doing her best to restrict herself from clocking Ichika right in the face on such a day like this.

Thomas sighed happily.

"Hey! It's Thanksgiving right?" Said Ichika, "What're you thankful for, Tommy?"

Thomas thought long and hard.

"I only have so many things I can say," Said Thomas, "If I could be brief, I'd say I'm thankful for being lucky enough to land myself a place like this. Here, I'm surrounded by people who care, and I feel safe calling them my friends."

Chifuyu turned away, doing her best to hide her blush.

The girls squealed with delight as they heard Thomas compliment them in such a way.

Ichika felt a renewed kinship with Thomas, chuckling as he began to remember how foolish Thomas could be at times.

It was refreshing for everyone to see how open Thomas had become ever since he'd started attending the IS Academy. For the longest time, when he started, he wasn't as slow and patient as he'd become over the months unto now.

It was times like these that Thomas wanted to last forever.

For the entire day, everyone enjoyed a whole day of good holiday fun. People ate, conversed, and bonded.

Thomas could feel he had vanity, as he wanted his life to stay right where it was.

But he knew it wouldn't be long before he'd once again have to grow.

That was the beauty of their lives.

It was all well and fun, acting their age, and horsing around. However, they still had quite the journey ahead of them.

And each day was the start for the rest of their lives.

There would come calms between storms, days where they could look back and envy their youthful playing, days where they could stop and make new memories to look back upon, days where they could learn how to be better and improve upon what they once were.

It was a carefree and happy balance.

But there would also be days where their little balance would be violently rocked, days where something would happen that they couldn't undo or redo, days where they'd lose something they couldn't get back, days where they had to make a decision that would ripple and determine their lives, even their fates.

As much as Thomas tried to force himself to not think of such a dilemma, he knew it to be true.

One day, he'd either push too far ahead, or he'd be left behind. Both would end with him being left alone, whether to wait for everyone else or to try and catch up.

There would be many more days like this, where everyone could take in and rejoice. Days where they could all afford to be greedy and indulge themselves

But there'd also be many days where they'd have to grow, and change for better or worse. Days where they'd realize they can't do both, and would have to choose one thing or another.

As much as Thomas was fearful of what the future held in store...

...He knew that whatever would happen, he'd have his friends by his side.

That is, until the day came where they weren't there.

There would be many days where he'd be all alone.

He'd have to find help, that wasn't to be had.

* * *

**A/N: That's about it. I wanted to do a Thanksgiving chapter to break the flow a little. Throwing everything from Kyoto to World Purge would be far too abrupt, and there wouldn't be too much development.**

**Some things take time, like growing up.**

**It's always nice to do filler chapters like these, it lets me relax and try to write something that could prove meaningful.**

**But, with this Thanksgiving Chapter done, it's time to move on to World Purge!**

**Anyway, I've been wanting people to give more feedback on the story, and ask questions about anything on it really, so I encourage reviews be left! Thanks to all your support and appreciation of the story, I wouldn't been able to go this far without it!**

**Next Time: World Purge Part 1**

**On a rare day off, everyone does their best to enjoy the time to unwind.**

**Ichika and Thomas are sent off the Academy island by Chifuyu.**

**The girls are left wanting to spend time with the boys, despite being stuck at the Academy.**

**However, without warning, the IS Academy's network suddenly comes under attack from the outside!**

**The remaining Representative Candidates cyber-dive into the school's computer systems to remedy the situation, but a program known as the "World Purge" traps them in illusions of their hearts' desires.**

**But it appears that the hackers weren't the only ones targeting the IS Academy...**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	29. World Purge Part 1

**At last! I'm back! I decided to quickly write the Thanksgiving chapter quickly, since I got the idea during writing the Power of Two. Anyway, as promised, here's World Purge Part 1! The World Purge Arc will also serve as an opportunity to diverge from the canon in various ways.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**On a rare day off, everyone is allowed to unwind and relax.**

**Ichika is sent to Kuramochi Machinery Development, the place the Byakushiki was made!**

**Chifuyu decides to send Thomas on a day-trip to the mainland.**

**Elias is sent back to England for data-collection for the Knight Gunner at the Dansforth Corporation.**

**The remaining Representative Candidates all do their best to find some way of spending the day without the boys, despite how much of their lives are centered around them.**

**But their day off is quickly brought to an end.**

**Without warning, a hacker from the outside suddenly gets through the IS Academy's protection, and quickly upends the computer network in chaos! The girls quickly perform a cyber-dive into the Academy's computers to fix the situation.**

**However, a program known as World Purge attacks them with illusions of their hearts' desires.**

**It also appears that the hacker isn't the only one targeting the school...**

**With little time and danger around every corner, can the Representative Candidates remedy the problem?**

* * *

Tabane typed away on the keyboards in her private lab.

Suddenly, a location on a map she had on the screen flashed and blinked.

"Ah! I see," Tabane muttered jovially, "So that's where it is~!"

She'd been doing multiple projects at once, not only trying to compile and process the data she'd collected from Kyoto and the Tag-Team Tournament, but on the IS Academy building itself.

"_Miss Tabane._" Called Chloe.

"Yah?" Tabane responded.

"_I baked some bread for you._"

"Oh, yay! Yum-yum!" Tabane cheered as she quickly began to exit her lab.

"Ta-dah!" Tabane cheered, waving her arms in the air as she caught sight of Chloe.

A single whiff of the air had given Tabane all that she needed.

"Oh my!" She cheered, "That smells scrum-diddly-umptious!"

Chloe nodded.

"Oh, by the way Chloe," Said Tabane, "I was wondering if you could go run an errand for me!"

"Of course Ma'am," Said Chloe, "Anything you need."

"Boo!" Pouted Tabane, "You don't have to be so formal n' stiff! Go ahead, you can call me Mama!"

"Forgive me..." Apologized Chloe.

"So about that errand..." Said Tabane, "I need you to go deliver a package for me...Pretty please~?"

"Of course, Mama."

"Yay! You even called me Mama!"

Tabane proceeded to devour the baked goods Chloe had made for her.

* * *

_At the IS Academy..._

Lingyin stared into space, bored beyond belief.

Charlotte calmly sipped a warm cup of tea, jovial as ever.

They sat in the cafeteria, as they had the day off.

"This is so boring," Whined Lingyin, "And I'm so boooored."

Charlotte chuckled.

"It's because the boys aren't here, isn't it?"

"Huh?!" Lingyin denied, "No! No it's not! Why should I care if they aren't here, especially Ichika?"

Charlotte laughed.

"If you say so."

Cecelia sat at the table, she looked like death.

No-one had ever seen her so miserable before.

"What's with her?" Said Lingyin.

"As much as she protested against it," Explained Charlotte, "Elias landed in England last night to record data for the Knight Gunner, I heard that he was having the Dansforth Corporation give it an overhaul. But...Cecelia didn't want him to leave, and you can guess the rest, no? Miss Orimura saw him off yesterday after classes."

"Hmph!" Snickered Lingyin, "She so obviously in love with Elias! She's such a puppy-dog around him, begging for attention!"

"Are you talking about Cecelia," Quipped Charlotte, "Or yourself?"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Just saying~!"

"...Not like _you're_ any better..."

Charlotte laughed.

"Where's Thomas? He'd usually be doing something cool in principle but stupid in practice by now."

"Him? Miss Orimura sent him to the mainland today. I wasn't able to figure out what he was going to do..."

"Ichika must have gone with him."

"Miss Orimura sent Ichika to somewhere to get the Byakushiki worked on. She didn't say where he was going..."

"Strange."

"Hm?"

"Miss Orimura seems to set on kicking the guys out today..."

"_Oui_...It's suspicious..."

"I mean, all our Units are in lockup today so they can get tuned up and inspected...So there's not really much we can do anyway..." Lingyin's conspiracy theory turned into a transition back to boredom.

"I can see why you're bored..." Charlotte yawned.

"Ichika better get back soon..." Muttered Lingyin.

Lingyin began to stare out the window, drifting off into blissful daydreaming. She began to dream of Ichika running into her embrace as he returned from a painfully long trip, that the only thing that got him through it was the thought of Lingyin.

Lingyin then realized Charlotte had a look that she was about to tease Lingyin.

"Wh-What?!" Lingyin snapped, "I'm not lonely! Why would you ever think that?!"

"I didn't say anything~!" Charlotte chuckled.

Without warning, the lights in the cafeteria shut off in the blink of an eye, causing several of the girls inside to scream and yelp in surprise. Charlotte, Lingyin, and Cecelia quickly jumped out of their seats, ready to jump into action. Just as suddenly as the lights, the shutters for all the windows suddenly snapped shut, drowning the inside of the IS Academy buildings with darkness.

"A blackout?" Said Lingyin.

"No," Said Charlotte, "The emergency power would've kicked in. We're in trouble."

Suddenly, an Audio Only holo-tab popped up by the trio's ears.

"_All of the students with Personal Units,_" Chifuyu's voice cackled over the comm, "_Gather at the Underground Special Block immediately. Directions are being sent now, this is not a drill._"

The girls quickly broke for their destination.

The boys were out, meaning whatever was going on had to have been planned.

But by who?

* * *

"Hm..." Ichika said, looking at the map.

Chifuyu sent him to Kuramochi Machinery Development, for reasons she didn't say.

Currently, he was standing at the front of the Research Center.

"Guess this is the place."

Ichika walked in, throwing any caution to the wind.

Ichika opened the door to the facility...

...To find it was unlocked, like it was waiting for him.

"H-Hello?" He called.

The lights were off, and all manner of machinery had been left about.

Ichika walked in, exercising caution.

Thomas would've looked for the lights, Elias would've been too nervous to enter until he knew there were people he could trust. Ichika just walked in, not knowing any better than to do so.

"Excuse me! I'm Ichika Orimura, from the IS Academy? I was sent here to get...The..."

Ichika trailed off, as he'd found no signs of anyone.

Suddenly, the silhouette of a woman appeared on the wall next to Ichika.

Ichika began to panic.

How would any of his friends react to the situation?

Blow everything up? Wave a sharp object? Do nothing? Curl into a ball and cry on the floor?

Ichika whipped around...

...Only to find a very oddly-dressed woman standing on a bench behind him.

she had two pigtails, a basic IS Pilot Uniform, a lab coat, a pair of fluffy bunny slippers, and goggles over her eyes.

One would think she either had frustrations she couldn't get out, or she just woke up.

She suddenly jumped from the bench, and vanished.

Ichika began to panic a lot more.

"Hey pretty boy~!" The woman cooed, "Wanna go in my room and we can have some fun~? Me likey~!"

Suddenly, the woman appeared right behind Ichika...

...And groped his butt, her fingers dangerously pressing against certain areas.

Ichika screamed in surprise, whipping around and collaring the woman as he threw her back.

The woman rolled and landed on her feet, laughing like a child.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" She assured, "Mostly kidding, anyway. You're Orimura?"

"Y-Yes Ma'am..."

"Nice to meet ya! I'm Kagaribi Hikaruno." Said the woman as she pulled the goggles off her eyes, "I'm the head of Kuramochi's Second Research and Development Lab."

"Wait-wait-wait," Said Ichika, "YOU?!"

"That's me! Now, c'mon," Said Kagaribi, "Let's have a look at your Unit."

Ichika put the Byakushiki into Inactive Mode, and let Kagaribi scan and analyze the Byakushiki.

"My, my," She said, looking at the scanner monitor, "Just what the crap were you up to?"

"What d'you mean?" Inquired Ichika.

"I mean, look at this! You somehow managed to gain access to a whole mess of stuff that this Unit shouldn't and doesn't have-PDWs, Energy Claw, a friggin' Beam Cannon for God's sake-How? Wait..."

Kagaribi then looked at the Byakushiki with her own two eyes.

"...You put the thing in SECOND SHIFT?!"

"I...I'm not sure..."

"I mean, don't be so sad," Admitted Kagaribi, "This actually INCREDIBLE! With all this data, we can actually finish the Byaku! You're a prince!"

"'Finish?'"

"You probably don't know this," Explained Kagaribi, "But back when we were working on the Byakushiki for you, we actually had to rush and ended up under-developing the Byakushiki to meet the deadline. Which explains its piss-poor functionality, it's high power-consumption rate, and its lack of equipment. At best, it was little more than a tech-demo than a real product."

"Oh..."

"But now that we have the chance," Continued Kagaribi, "We can use the data you've collected to max-out the Byakushiki."

"Will that take long?"

"Absolutely."

"Aw..."

"Hey! Be thankful at least, I bet you sucked when fighting with this thing before! Nut we can fix up the power-issue and make it better in every way!"

"Yeah..."

"Chin up! We actually finished drawing up the Byakushiki's finished production, so we can just do that right here, right now! We might have a problem though..."

"What's wrong?"

"It looks like you irreversibly augmented the left arm with the Energy Claw and Charged-Particle Gun. If we want to actually begin working on the Byakushiki and have the upgrades work properly..."

"Just say it..."

"...We'll...Have to reset the Byakushiki back to it's Default Shift."

"What?!"

"But fret not!" Declared Kagaribi, "Before we reset it, I'll backup and download as much data as I can to preserve it, so we'll be able to replace the data we need when we're done."

"Oh, thank goodness...That'll make things take longer though, won't it?"

"Yeah..."

"Oh come on!"

"Why don't you just go fishing or something?" Said Kagaribi, pulling out a bamboo fishing pole, "You can dig up some bait at the nearby river, and fish there! I mean, if you don't wanna, I think I have some anime and video games lying around..."

Ichika sighed.

"It's fine..." He groaned as he left for the river.

* * *

_In England..._

"Mother? Father?" Called Elias, "I'm home!"

"So you are." Answered Elias's father, Oliver Dansforth.

"Welcome back." Monotonously replied Elias's mother, Rose Dansforth.

Both spoke as though they either hardly cared, or were distracted.

Elias wasn't entirely hurt, as such had been the case for quite some time.

Elias's parents had been so focused upon attempting to save the Dansforth Corporation from going under, that they really didn't have the ability to be so parental and attentive towards Elias.

So instead, they hired a personal maid for the boy to give him company.

"Welcome back, Master Elias." Greeted Elias's maid, Maria Swan.

"Thank you, Maria." Elias responded.

"It's been quite some time, I always wait to hear word of your exploits eagerly, and patiently await your return."

Elias felt a warm smile curl on his face.

Maria was always so tender and loving towards Elias, and she was always there when Elias needed her.

When the girls of Elias's old school had stolen his innocence from him, she stayed by his side and refused to leave. She was with him for most of the time, only letting Elias on his own when he needed to bathe or use the restroom. During the time she spent with him in that dark period of Elias's life, she continuously showered Elias with cuddles and hugs if he was ever on the verge of total breakdown.

She'd been so loving to Elias, he felt she was the older sister he never had.

"I've gotten word that you've reunited with Lady Cecelia Alcott." Said Maria.

"I have." Admitted Elias, "I...Just..."

"What's wrong, Master Elias?"

"Maria...How do I talk to girls?"

"It's as simple as talking to boys, Master."

"Not that way."

"Oh? Oh! I see...You still fancy Lady Alcott?"

"I know you're disappointed in my decision, but...I...I won't back down from it!"

"I never said such, Master Elias. On another note, your parents request that you hurry and deliver the Knight Gunner Unit, they're growing restless in the face of such discoveries..."

"Right away, Maria."

Maria guided Elias to the IS Production Facility for the Dansforth Corporation.

"I'm glad your finally home..." Maria muttered to herself.

Elias dropped off the Knight Gunner to the IS Technicians, and began to wonder what he should do to pass the time. His parents were obviously way too busy to spend time with him, and Elias didn't want to force himself upon them and waste their valuable time.

Currently, the Dansforth corporation was devoting its time to creating a Mass-Production Model for the BT-Weapons System to serve as England's trademark, and they were in a very heated competition with other IS-Manufacturers to secure their Unit, the BT-Production Model known as the Legionary, would be recognized.

Elias didn't want to disturb their work, so trying to catch up with his parents was simply right out of the gate.

However, spending time with Maria would be nice.

But what would they be able to do together?

Maria answered such a question for Elias before he could even ask.

"Master Elias," She said, "May I inquire what you've been up to since you left for the IS Academy?"

"Of course!"

Elias then began to tell Maria everything he could remember from the time he spent in the IS Academy. From Thomas whipping him into shape, all the good fun he had with Ichika and Thomas, his efforts in the Tag-Team Tournament, even to his actions in the Kyoto Incident.

Maria couldn't help but smile.

The IS Academy had done the one thing she failed to do: Raise Elias's spirits. In his old boarding school, every time Maria got the chance to visit, Elias always looked like a walking corpse. He always looked tired, his eyes barely open as they had a lackluster dull. He held his head low, walking with no confidence in the slightest.

It broke her heart to see someone she cared for seem as though he wanted his own life to end.

But, when Elias had returned one holiday, he'd sneaked into the IS Development Labs. It was the night the Dansforth Corporation discovered Elias was a valuable asset, as they conducted tests and found he was indeed very IS-compatible.

Maria that Elias's face still hadn't changed.

But now? After so many months of being separated from him? He never seemed so joyous before. He was lively, his eyes were open, and twinkled with a childish innocence. If Maria didn't know any better, she would've thought he was always this way.

But this startling change only happened when Elias was away from her.

Could she have played a role in Elias's suffering?

Maria's mood soured.

As much as she was enjoying Elias's sudden livelihood, the thought that she had a hand in his prior misery began to fester. Such a deed would be unforgivable in her eyes, and the concept that she'd done so mortified her.

As Elias narrated, she quickly did her best to suppress such feelings, as she didn't want to interrupt Elias's tales with her own meager problems.

If she stayed near Elias...

...Would she only end up hurting him again?

* * *

Thomas played in the arcade of a strip mall.

He was utterly bored.

It wasn't that the game he was playing wasn't engaging enough for him, it was that going to an arcade was more of a group activity, and being all alone made it far less enjoyable since there was no one to share such fun with.

Another reason people didn't take too much interest in him was that they had no idea who he was. Many of the IS Academy's events, matches and the like, were recorded and usually televised live. However, Thomas didn't participate enough for people to recognize him.

He was grateful, as the last thing he wanted was to get mauled by fans in public.

However, he was still bored.

Thomas did what he could, but eventually lost interest in playing games.

_"I should check on the house..."_ He thought.

Thomas left the arcade, and began to head for home.

Alex was most likely still working at the IS Academy island, as today wouldn't count as a day off for him, so there was no-one waiting for him when he got home.

It had been quite some time since Thomas last returned to an empty home.

But little did he know it wasn't as empty as he thought.

_At the Orimura Residence..._

Yin sat at the dining table, sipping a cup of barley tea Ichika had left inside.

She wore a pair of pajamas, as she didn't have much other than her combat gear.

It had been so long since she'd been in such a scene. For years, she squatted in whatever location she had. It had been a long, long time since she'd been in such a peaceful, suburban environment, acting as though she had nothing better to do.

Alex had given her a key to the house, allowing her to come and go as she pleased. She made it a policy to stay as far away from the property as she could whenever the boys were present.

It was a force of habit she just couldn't break.

When she gave birth to Thomas, she left both Alex and Thomas behind for the sake of a mission she just couldn't complete. She didn't understand it at the time, but her son was forced to grow up without her. By the time she stopped to think of them, it was already far too late to just waltz back in like nothing ever happened.

She'd decided the only thing she could do was cut herself out of Thomas's life completely, so he could move on and grow.

As much has she wanted to, she dared not go near her son, knowing that such an encounter would only make Thomas curse his mother rather than greet her.

She didn't want to hurt Thomas by pretending she was a worthy mother for him.

Even though she was thinking of how horrible she was, she smiled.

Chifuyu, being her friend, had a hand in raising Thomas from his youth as a sister. Chifuyu secretly documented as much of Thomas as she could, in order to send such to Yin so she could watch her son grow up.

Despite how much she watched her son live his life, it only made her heart heavy when she finished.

She never tended to him when he was hurt or frightened, she only talked to him for a single sentence, she only held him in her arms once, she was only ever his mother for less than a full day.

Chifuyu, Ichika, and Alex were the only family Thomas had. If she was to return to being Ellen Scott, she just wouldn't fit anywhere in his life. As much as she wanted to take responsibility and finally meet her son...

...Would she really be worthy doing so?

The question weighed heavily in her mind.

If she suddenly forced herself into their lives, would she be able to find a place to stay? Chifuyu and Alex would accept her, but would Ichika and Thomas? The two were near-inseparable, so could she really be able to bond with Ichika as well as Thomas?

Suddenly, the sound of the front door being unlocked ran through her ears.

Yin went stiff.

Alex and Chifuyu would always call ahead before they paid a visit.

Someone was about to come in and she was out in the open.

Yin quickly ran and stashed the barley tea in the fridge, shut the door, and ran for her and Alex's room before whoever was coming in opened the door.

Thomas entered.

"I'm home..." He grunted monotonously, taking off his shoes.

Yin began to panic.

She was now trapped in the same building as her son.

Thomas sighed as he ventured further into the house.

He was far too dejected to realize someone was in the house with him.

From behind the corner of the hall, Yin could spy that Thomas looked quite dead inside. He had yet to smoke her out, meaning he might not know she was there just yet. However, Yin wasn't about to relax her guard. She knew quite well how perceptive Thomas was.

She had to find some way to escape the house before Thomas figured out she was here.

She knew she had to flee, not because she couldn't stand to see her son, but because Thomas had never saw her. She felt that if they made eye contact, Thomas would treat her as a stranger, and rightfully so.

She deserved to live in fear of her own child.

* * *

_At the IS Academy..._

"What is this place?" Houki asked aloud.

She the rest of the Representative Candidates were standing in a strange bunker they'd never seen before. They'd all gotten the call to report here, and they nearly got lost trying to reach it. The room looked like a computer-to-human interface.

"This was here all along?" Muttered Cecelia.

"_Allow me to explain the situation._" Chifuyu's voice spoke through an intercom.

The girls turned around to find Chifuyu, Maya, and Kanzashi sitting in an overhead observation room.

"_As of right now,_" Explained Chifuyu, "_All of the IS Academy's computer systems are down. It's fair to say we've been hacked._"

"_Thankfully,_" Added Maya, "_None of the students have been harmed in any way by this. Just as a precaution, they've been ordered to remain in the dorms under the watch of the security staff until we give the all-clear. However, we have to regain control of the system fast, because that just might change._"

The Representative Candidates all stared as the took in this information.

"_In order to fix the system,_" Explained Maya, "_You'll have to perform a cyber-dive into a virtual reality-version of the system through the IS Core Network._"

"Y-You mean we're going into the system?" Inquired Cecelia, quite confused by the meaning of Maya's explanation.

"_You'll be entering a VR of it, yes._" Affirmed Maya.

"Zhat means," Laura muttered, "Ve'll have to bypass our IS Units' nervous system protection and enter zhe network vith virtual avatars?"

"That's theoretically possible," Concurred Charlotte, "But that's still just theory..."

"Well," Said Nana, "Think of it this way: We'll get to experience _Tron_!"

Everyone simply stared at Nana, visibly confused.

"'Course I'm the only one here who actually watched it..." Nana grumbled.

Chifuyu clapped her hands.

"_All personnel, stand by! The mission will commence now!_"

The girls quickly began to change into their pilots uniforms.

"Sarashiki," Said Chifuyu, "You'll be providing external tech support."

"Yes, Ma'am." Acknowledged the girl.

The Representative Candidates all sat down in the System Interface, and prepared to venture into the IS Academy's computer network.

"We're connecting you to the school's VR-Interface now," Said Kanzashi, "You need to locate the Core and reboot it."

The girls all did their best to ease their nerves.

They'd faced many battles...

...But this was uncharted territory.

The girls all closed their eyes as their minds left their bodies.

"Now then," Said Chifuyu, "I have a separate task for you."

Tatenashi smiled as she closed her fan.

"Of course, Ma'am. Your orders?"

"There's an uncomfortably high chance enemy forces are on their way here. If so, they'd most likely be behind hacking the computer network, and it's quite obvious what they'd be after if they come here."

"You want me to intercept them?"

"Give them a warm welcome. With the Representative Candidates all currently on this mission, and the boys away, you'll have to do this yourself."

"Understood."

* * *

_In the Cyber-World..._

The girls all woke up, staring in absolute awe as they observed their surroundings.

They were no longer in the bunker.

All around them was an infinite cyberspace, twinkling with all manner of programs, applications, files, and so much more.

It was like they were standing in space, but at the same time, not.

"This isn't the Grid..." Said Nana.

"The what?" Inquired Cecelia.

"Ugh...Never mind." Groaned Nana.

"So...What now?" Said Houki, being the most technologically dwarfed of the bunch.

Several door-like interfaces popped up in front of the girls, one for each of them.

It almost seemed that the computer network was alive, tempting and daring them to venture into cyberspace.

"Do we go in?" Inquired Lingyin.

Kanzashi opened a comm channel to the girls.

"_Most likely._" She said, "_The signal's unstable up ahead, once you go in, you'll be on your own._"

"Roger!" Acknowledged the girls.

The girls each opened up an interface, and entered.

What they would find on the other side...

...None of them would've expected.

The interfaces locked.

"_World Purge, commence._"

* * *

Lingyin jolted.

What just happened?

Was she asleep?

Currently, she was...

...Sitting in her old middle school classroom?

A quick look made her realize she was also wearing her middle school uniform as well.

"What?"

All around her, the classroom was exactly as she remembered. The chalkboard, the desks, the bookshelves, all of it was arranged just in every which way she could remember.

It was as though she hadn't even left.

"What's going on...?"

Lingyin checked her wrist.

Her Shenlong bracelet was gone.

"This has to be some kind of trap..." She muttered.

Suddenly, the classroom door slid open.

Lingyin looked...

...Only to find Ichika walking casually into the classroom.

"'Sup, Ling?" Greeted Ichika.

"I-Ichika?! What're you doing here?!" Cried Lingyin, "You're supposed to be getting your IS looked at!"

"My what? What're you talking about?"

"What do you want, anyway?" Lingyin recomposed.

"Can I come over to your place today?"

"Eh?!"

"Well," Ichika pouted, "Since we're dating and all..."

Lingyin's heart stopped.

Was this real?

She and Ichika were...

...Really in a relationship?!

It seemed too good to be true. Lingyin had to be dreaming!

And yet...

...It was all so real.

"It's okay, right Lingyin?" Ichika whispered into her ear.

The girl blushed.

If she was dreaming, perhaps she could afford to indulge herself a little...

"Yeah..." Lingyin conceded.

* * *

"I understand." Acknowledged Cecelia, "If that's the case, it would be a necessity to have the groups contact each other more frequently would it not?"

"_I am terribly sorry._" Apologized the caller, "_I shall report to you again on a later date. Farewell._"

The conference call ended as the camera screens shut off.

Cecelia leaned back in her chair with a heavy sigh of exhaustion.

Managing politics for the common of England was a wearying task, even more so on a young lady like Cecelia Alcott. She was the CEO of the Alcott Co

But, work was work.

_"Now that I've gotten through work,"_ Cecelia thought, _"I suppose it's time for play."_

Cecelia rang the bell.

She watched the door to her office eagerly, waiting for her most precious butler to burst through the doors and sooth her exhausted self. The young maiden felt that this very moment, the act of waiting her butler, was simply the brightest highlight of her monotonous days.

With not a moment to spare, Elias burst into the room, and bowed before her.

"You called, Milady?"

Elias Dansforth was her most beloved butler, employed by her direct order when he'd been found impoverished on the streets. When she'd first laid eyes upon him, he was the poorest condition on could be. He wore dismal clothing that did nothing to shelter him from the cold, he was on the verge of starvation, his eyes looked dead. It was also discovered that he was about to take his own life to end his misery.

Cecelia had stopped him, and gave him a new life.

Ever since then, he'd become her most loyal companion, and was always there when she needed or wanted him. If Cecelia could work past her anxiety around him, she'd have him betrothed to her on the spot.

However...

"You know what I said about when we're alone together, yes?" Cecelia pouted.

Elias chuckled.

"A thousand apologies, Cecelia."

Cecelia had employed Elias almost an eternity ago, upon discovering his family had served her for generations. He'd been discarded by them for what reason she cared not, only to have him wander back in and return to his rightful place at her side.

_"For...Generations?"_ Cecelia realized.

That wasn't right, was it? She couldn't recall anything up until...Now.

No...

That couldn't be...

Wait. It was! Of course it was!

"I'm quite sorry," Cecelia admitted, "I've had another one of those bizarre dreams...Like one from another world..."

"You've told me so," Said Elias, "Of a world where we attend a school together, something or other. With tales about lads like Ichika Orimura or Thomas Scott. And of ladies like Charlotte Dunois or Houki Shinonono."

"Yes..."

"Ssh..." Whispered Elias, as he got behind Cecelia, his lips blowing softly into her ear.

"Eh?!"

"It's all imagination, my dear." He went on, "The only thing that should matter is what's around you, not some far-flung fantasy."

"You're...So right..."

* * *

Charlotte hummed a tune nonchalantly as she scrubbed the windows clean.

She stood on a step ladder, balancing as well as she could as she minded her task carefully. Her short skirt flapped around as she moved to reach as far across the window as she could.

There was nothing better in life than these sorts of moments for the lovely maid Charlotte Dunois.

Ichika, wearing a bathrobe, slicked silently up behind her.

His lips curled with a naughty grin.

Charlotte had finally finished scrubbing the window clean. She sighed, and wiped her brow with her arm.

From behind, Ichika had taken a mop, and used the tip of the handle to lift Charlotte's skirt.

"_Sacre bleu_!" Cried Charlotte in surprise.

The sight he'd seen was one of places no-one dared look in public.

"Aha!" Declared Ichika, in a French accent, "I've caught you wearing naughty underwear yet _again_, Charlotte."

"B-But...You ordered me to wear it, _Monsieur_!"

"Don't be so formal!" Chuckled Ichika, "In a week's time, you'll call me husband, not master!"

"W-Well," Reasoned Charlotte, "Right now, I'm still your maid..."

"Hm..." Ichika questioned, "Are your _Sieur_'s orders absolute?"

"_Oui bien sûr_-?!"

Suddenly, in a single move, Ichika had spun around and picked up Charlotte like a bride right off the step ladder!

"Oh? What have we here? Ichika teased, "Why, it seems I've caught a lovely bride!"

Charlotte blushed as Ichika showered her with love and affections.

For her, it was pure bliss.

Simply too good to be true.

* * *

Laura waited patiently at the dining table, reading a book to pass the time.

"Laura!" Ichika called in a German accent, "It's ready!"

"Here you go," Ichika said, handing her a dish omelette rice, "_Mit liebe gemacht_."

Laura looked upon the dish with a twinkle in her eyes.

"I apologize for making you do zhis all zhe time." Laura said, "_Aber_, you are zhe _perfekt_ wife."

"Vell," Ichika said, "You have zhe day off, _ja_? In zhat case, I'd like to cash in zhis."

Ichika pulled out a slip of paper.

Laura froze.

She knew full well what that paper was, and how much power it gave Ichika over her.

It was an IOU she'd given Ichika, which was good for only a single favor.

But that still meant Ichika could ask for anything from her, anything at all.

"Bu-But...Zhat ish-!"

Ichika's innocent smile turned sinister as Laura could see a glint in his eye.

She knew full well what he was going to do...

...But she was powerless to stop him.

Not that she wouldn't object to it...

Laura's hand shook violently as she tried to drink a small mug of coffee.

"V-Vhat are you going to ask me to do zhen?!"

"Vell..." Ichika had an infuriatingly innocent look on his face, "You know...Vear nozhing but an apron?"

Laura spat the coffee out of her mouth as Ichika said such words.

"Y-You silly boy...Shtop being such a _Dummkopf_!" She fumbled her words, "Who vould do such a zhing-?!"

Laura was immediatly silenced as Ichika kissed her on the forehead.

"_Bitte_, Laura," He cooed, "For me."

Laura's will had been broken.

"_Ja_..." She muttered.

"_World Purge, Complete._"

* * *

**A/N: And that's the end of part 1! Hope you all enjoyed! I'm a little bit excited, as I was able to use the World Purge Arc as a means of diverging from the Infinite Stratos Canon a bit more.**

**Some ways I did this are with what I call the "Full-Package Byakushiki," and the introduction of Blue Tears 4 "Legionary." ****I'm also happy, since this chapter allowed me to give Thomas a much-needed near-encounter with Yin, who's been out of the story for far too long.**

**Ichika's Byakushiki is going to be upgraded, meaning he has a ton more fighting power. Elias will also be receiving an upgrade, but I'll save just how far it will go later.**

**I'll go into details of the Full-Package Byakushiki in later chapters.**

**The reason I decided to change things like this, is because American Idiot is a story about growth. Everyone has a perfect balance with each other, being able to work together and such. But, if any of them are going to grow, that balance has to be rocked.**

**By doing the FPB, Ichika will be able to grow as a character, since he'll have a lot more choices available to him.**

**For now, I'll do a profile for the Legionary.**

**Legionary is the Blue Tears Mass-Production Model developed by the Dansforth ****Corporation. Unlike the Knight Gunner, aka Blue Tears 3, the Legionary is a streamlined and superior model due to it's standardized design.**

**The Legionary is armed with 5 Optical Drones, a Beam Sniper, a Barrier Shield, 1 Rocket Pod, a Vulcan Assault Rifle, a Targeting Visor, and a Tactical Helmet.**

**Due to being a Production Model, the Legionary isn't equipped with the same overwhelming arsenal as its predecessor, the Knight Gunner. This is due to the fact that the Knight Gunner was a last-ditch effort in creating a quick and powerful Unit, allowing Elias to compensate for experience. The Legionary has a far greater capacity, but it's predecessor is still on equal terms.**

**The Legionary's design is inspired by the Nu Gundam.**

**I came up with the idea, since it felt that the Blue Tears was essentially going to become this sort of thing anyway. The World Purge Arc will be a good debut for the Legionary, as Elias might not stay with the Knight Gunner forever...**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**Next Time: World Purge Part 2.**


	30. World Purge Part 2

**A lot went down last chapter, and it's only gonna go down a lot more this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**As the boys sit and wait for the chance to go back to the IS Academy, the situation deteriorates!**

**The Representative Candidates are all in World Purge's thrall, and unable to escape! Trapped in worlds made of their own desires, can any of them find the will to wake up from their dreams?**

* * *

Chifuyu was in the IS Academy's Basement.

The enemy was soon to arrive.

She'd already began to change out of her clothes and into her old Combat Suit, something she had not donned in years. The last time she could remember wearing such was her last mission working alongside Yin. Currently, she was tying her hair into a long ponytail.

"It's been a while since I last did my hair like this." Chifuyu mumbled to herself.

Thomas and Ichika loved it when she'd have a ponytail, telling her it always looked pretty on her.

It had been far too long since those kinds of days.

Those were times she could waste the day away, playing with the boys as though there was nothing else to live for. But such memories were so distant to the woman now, as the times drastically changed.

It was moments like these that made Chifuyu wish she was a normal girl, living a quiet life with her so-called family. But Yin was forced to leave, and her mission had essentially shut down any hopes of Yin, Thomas, Ichika, Chifuyu, and Alex living like a family.

They weren't biologically related, but part of her wished such was the case.

But this? Keeping secrets from Ichika and Thomas? Borderline lying to their faces? Supporting Yin's continued practical neglect of her own child? Believing and knowing that Thomas and Ichika would never trust her again if either of them knew the truth, and still going through with all of it?

As much as Chifuyu wanted to tell Ichika and Thomas the truth, she was either too scared or too stupid to do so.

They really should've thought things through.

Chifuyu thought deeply as she loaded her belt with several blades.

She'd cross the bridge when she came to it.

In the here and now, students were in danger, and she had to step up and neutralize the threat.

The only blessing this situation gave her was that she had a distraction from her problems.

Chifuyu exited the armory, and prepared to engage.

* * *

Nana flinched.

What was going on? One moment, she was in cyberspace, the next, she was waking up in her bedroom back in the United States.

She'd been in boarding schools for so long, she'd forgotten all about her own room.

And yet, it was exactly as she remembered.

She heard a knock on the door.

"C-Come in!"

The door opened, revealing none other than Thomas.

"Thomas?!"

"You look nervous," Said Thomas, "What's wrong?"

Nana's mind clicked.

That's right! She and Thomas were living in Nana's house together after getting approved by her dad and step-mom! They were engaged, despite their young age, and were very soon to be wed.

What else could be happening?

Thomas had been so loving, coming to Nana's aid if she ever felt wrong.

The perfect husband.

"Here," Thomas said, coming to Nana's bedside, "Let's get you ready for the day!"

"Hmph! I want five more minutes!"

Thomas yanked the covers right off Nana's bed, causing her to yelp.

"Not gonna happen!"

"That's it!" Nana shouted happily, jumping upon Thomas.

The couple fell to the floor with a thump.

They laughed.

Nana then realized how close they were to each other.

The girl then went closer to steal a tender kiss from Thomas.

Nana's female attendant burst into the door.

"Lady Nana!" Cried the attendant, "I heard a thump! Is everything-oh?"

The attendant realized the situation, as she watched Nana pull away from Thomas to deliver a furious glare at the attendant.

"I'm sorry," Said the attendant, smiling, "I'll prepare everything for you..."

The attendant closed the door and locked it with a key, and quickly placed a "Do not disturb" sign on the door handle.

"We should get dressed." Said Nana.

"We should." Said Thomas, kissing her lips once more as he picked her up.

Thomas helped each way he could in Nana getting dressed.

There was nothing she wanted more than him.

* * *

Houki swung her Shinai, but wasn't able to land so much as a tap upon her opponent.

She was locked in a furious kendo battle, and quickly found that she was losing. She wore a white robe, and black kendo armor. Her opponent wore all black, and seemed like the Japanese equivalent of a Black Knight.

But for some reason, she felt fine with it.

Whap!

Houki had felt her foe's Shinai rap her on the head, and she lost.

But she was quite happy.

For her opponent was none other than Ichika Orimura.

The two bowed to each other.

"_Domo airgatogozaimashita_."

Houki and Ichika pulled off their kendo helmets.

"You were incredible!" Complimented Ichika.

"The same to you." Houki said politely.

Houki then began to blush.

She began to dream of a wedding between her and Ichika.

Ichika was the perfect man, living with her in the Shinonono family shrine. He was her only superior in kendo, with such power and speed that seemed so beyond that of an average person.

Houki, however, felt that it was...Almost unrealistic, for some reason.

_"Strange. It appears that World Purge doesn't have as strong an effect upon Houki Shinonono as it does the others...World Purge, intensify."_

Houki began to dream that Ichika would marry into the Shinonono family.

They'd have a wonderful, full-on Japanese-Style wedding.

She'd do anything to make that dream happen...

Anything at all...

* * *

Elias quickly noticed something was wrong.

As he talked and talked of his adventures in the IS Academy, he noted that Maria would sometimes look away with a sad look on her face. But each time he asked a direct question, she quickly covered up with a smile.

His time with Thomas had taught him to spot things like these.

"Maria," He finally asked, "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing, Master Elias."

"Stop lying."

"Come again?"

"Something is bothering you, and I just want to know what. You shouldn't bottle up your problems for my sake, I care about your well-being too."

Maria's sad face quickly appeared.

"I..." She lamented, "I feel that I shouldn't be near you anymore."

"What?"

"It's just..." Maria sniffled, "Whenever I saw you, whenever I cared for you, you always seemed like a dead man walking. Ever since the incident, you looked so dead inside, despite how much I tried to cater to you. But now, when you've returned from the IS Academy-away from me-you seem miraculously lively. It's...I just can't help but feel as though I played a part in your misery."

Elias finally understood what Maria was going through.

She blamed herself for not being able to nurse Elias's depression. When Elias spent all that time bonding and growing, even being able to once again enjoy the niceties of life, he'd almost completely forgotten he was a victim to begin with.

However, Maria wasn't there with him at the IS Academy. It dawned Elias that, to Maria, the only logical explanation for Elias's happiness was because Maria was a source of his suffering.

But such just wasn't true.

"Maria," Said Elias, "Don't be so harsh upon yourself."

"But-!"

"You're the reason I was able to continue living. You're right, I did become happy in my stay at the IS Academy, but you're also wrong. You weren't a part of my misery. In anything, your time spent with me is the sole reason I hadn't taken my own life."

"Master Elias, don't say such things!"

"But it's true," Continued Elias, "You affection was the sole thing I lived for in those dark times. I cared little for studies, or anything else. You, Maria Swan, were the sole reason I genuinely wanted to live."

Maria sniffled, doing her best to regain her composure.

The two understood that Elias's words weren't a declaration of love, but a confession of friendship.

Maria finally began to stop her self-hatred, and understand what Elias meant.

She couldn't ask for a better master than him.

* * *

Ichika cast the line, and the hook bopped along the surface.

He'd found bait, and decided to start fishing.

"Now that I think about it," Thought Ichika, "I haven't done fishing in years."

Thomas and Ichika did fishing together, both in gaming and in real life. However, Ichika usually caught all the fish, and Thomas was famous for never catching a single fish ever while fishing, no matter how hard he tried.

When Ichika thought about it, Thomas never really actively fished, most likely due to that fact.

"This is...Relaxing." Ichika said to himself, "The Academy's always so hectic."

Ichika heard a splash upstream.

"Can't compete with the energy of teenage girls?" Called Kagaribi, standing in the water, holding a fishing spear with a live fish impaled on it.

"What in the-Hikaruno-San?!"

"Say," Kagaribi said as she took a seat beside Ichika, "Ever hear of the IS Core Network?"

"Uh..." Ichika thought hard, "It's...A communication system, right? It's based on the communications protocol used in space missions. Or was it a VR that connects all the IS Cores?"

"More or less, yeah." Said Kagaribi, "Actually, it's how your Byakushiki was able to inherit the Yukihira Nagata from your sister's Unit, the Kurezakura, along with it's One-Off Ability."

_"Was that how Thomas managed to get the Yukihira?"_ Thought Ichika.

Although the boys had pondered why Thomas's Revive could inherit data from other IS Units on the fly, they never really found a concrete answer. Could it be, that the Revive duplicated the data through the IS Core Network?

"Maybe that explains all that extra data the Byakushiki had..." Kagaribi trailed off, "But the Byakushiki doesn't have any of that stuff, which means the data came from another IS Unit...But when and how did that happen?"

"Hey," Inquired Ichika, "What're you doing here anyway? What about the Byakushiki?"

"Hm?" Said Kagaribi, "That old thing? Oh, it's doing a software update right now. I reset it back to Default Shift, so it'll be a while before we can finally install everything."

"How long will that take? An hour?"

"Hours."

"Aw..."

"Hey, no complaining!" Scolded Kagaribi, "We're fixing that power-consumption problem, so be grateful!"

"Really?"

"Yeah...Word to the wise: Stop using the Type Two Yukihira Nagata."

"Huh?"

"That's part of the problem. The Byakushiki burns more power to maintain the continuous energy output. It's part of the reason your solo fights seem to end in a matter of minutes."

"Oh..."

"You can use it in combat, just don't carelessly waste it."

"Gotcha."

Ichika then zoned out as he began to think.

_"Wonder what everyone else is up to..."_

* * *

Lingyin and Ichika ran down the street.

For some bizarre reason, it had started raining out of nowhere. There wasn't a forecast on such happening, so Lingyin and Ichika were stuck running down the street in their school uniforms, splashing in puddles and kicking up water.

Lingyin and Ichika made a mad dash for Lingyin's family restaurant. Thankfully neither of Lingyin's parents were home, meaning she and Ichika had the whole place to themselves.

_"We...We're all alone..."_ Lingyin blushed at the thought.

The girl quickly perished the thought as she set down her soaking wet schoolbag.

"The rain came outta nowhere! Sheesh!" Said Ichika, shaking off his drenched uniform.

"So frigging cold..." Muttered Lingyin.

Ichika took a towel, and began to rub it over Lingyin's head.

"Lemme dry you off..." Said Ichika, "Personally, we could just pop you in a dryer and have you come out all fluffy~!"

Lingyin blushed feverishly as Ichika dried her off and tended to her.

"T-Thanks..." She said.

"Hey, Ling."

"Yeah?"

"Let me dry the rest of your body."

Lingyin reacted by taking the towel, and slapping Ichika in the face with it.

"W-Why would we do anything like that?!"

Lingyin backed away, embarrassed.

"I-I guess...If you want to..."

"Wanna take a shower together, then?"

"YOU PERV!" Lingyin shouted as she ran to her room, leaving Ichika to take a shower by himself.

Lingyin dropped at her desk, and did her best to calm down.

"I need to get changed..." She muttered.

Lingyin began by pulling down her underwear.

Without warning, Ichika opened the door and strutted into the room...

...With nothing but a towel around his legs.

They both froze, and stared at each other.

Lingyin's face turned bright red as she stared, slack-jawed at Ichika.

Ichika looked like he'd just seen something he shouldn't have, shock being the result.

"Well," Ichika grinned, "I'm done with the shower.

Before Lingyin could do anything, Ichika pulled her into an embrace.

"But now..." He whispered softly, "I want to start with you..."

Lingyin was helpless in her situation, and caved in under Ichika's advance. Ichika picked Lingyin up, and laid her on the bed in her room. Her underwear was still hanging by her knees, her skirt being the only thing covering her private area.

"We...We can't..." Lingyin said halfheartedly.

Being in their position, Lingyin just couldn't find it within herself to fight back against Ichika's seductive moves.

"You're so pretty, Ling." Ichika whispered softly, his hand caressing her cheek, and beginning to move downward.

Lingyin couldn't fight.

This was what she dreamed of.

* * *

Cecelia began to undress in the bathroom.

Elias was filling the bathtub with steaming hot water and rose petals, for a combination of lovely aroma and relaxing heat.

Cecelia excitedly placed her removed clothing in a basket, and quickly tied her hair into a bun to keep it from getting in the way. Before anyone could see, the girl quickly entered the bath as Elias left the room.

Today was a very special day for Cecelia.

A special day indeed.

In her life, she'd come to long await this very sort of day each week. It was the one day a week she was allowed to indulge herself and let Elias do the same. It was the one day where they weren't mistress and servant, but lover and lover.

This very moment was a great highlight, as it was right now, Elias was to wash Cecelia's body.

If Cecelia had her way, they'd do more adult things in the bath.

However, Elias was so wise in the ways of romance, as he'd displayed that he liked to take his time, teasing and playing around the one thing they both wanted to draw out the entertainment.

Sometimes, it felt that Elias was far more in control than Cecelia was.

The boy was always so kind and caring, tending to Cecelia, and bringing her back to reality when she'd lost grasp of it. When she had those other-worldly dreams, Elias would always be the one to show her the world around her.

She couldn't help but want him so badly.

"Cecelia," Called Elias, "I'm coming in."

"Please do!"

Elias entered, wearing a man's one-piece swimsuit.

"We'll start with your top," Elias said, "Like always."

"O-Of course..."

Cecelia stood up in the bath, and turned her back to Elias.

She wasn't ready for him to see her front just yet. Exposing her bosom would make the situation far more steamy than the bath.

Elias began to scrub Cecelia's back.

It felt so wrong...But so right.

Elias's hands moved quickly, but so lightly and gently, it seemed unreal.

How could he, a once-impoverished boy, move with the skill and grace of a trained master of art?

Such was how Cecelia had fallen for Elias.

Elias began to move his hands further and further down Cecelia's back.

Until, at last, the girl could feel his hands caress her buttocks.

"Cecelia," Teased Elias, "Have you grown here?"

"E-Elias! O-Of course not!"

"Then how do you explain why your curvaceousness has acquired more meat?" He interrogated, his hands quickly becoming more forceful with her rear.

Cecelia squealed a little, humiliated and aroused.

"You've become so lewd," Whispered Elias, "It's almost like you've become a doll."

"I...I..."

"That's not so bad," Consoled Elias, "After all, even a toy must be properly cared for."

Without warning, Elias playfully nipped Cecelia's ear.

Cecelia yelped in surprise once again.

"Elias..." She mumbled, leaning upon the boy for support.

"Shall we move to your front?"

"...Yes."

* * *

Tatenashi waited, leaning on the wall.

She was sitting in one of the IS Academy's fortified hallways.

A warning screen popped up in front of her.

"_Trespasser Alert._"

"And to think I was giving you a few more minutes..." Tatenashi said aloud.

Suddenly, smoke and mist filled the corridor in a matter of seconds.

Shapes moved within the smoke, and Tatenashi could clearly see what.

It was a group of soldiers, wearing optical camouflage.

"So," Tatenashi concluded, "Considering you've shown up so quickly, I think I know what's going on here. Just asking, but have you been monitoring us twenty-four seven? I mean, I don't wanna pry, but..."

She opened her fan.

"...You look like a bunch of idiots of a _Call of Duty_ match."

The invisible soldiers turned their guns on Tatenashi, and opened fire.

Tatenashi waved her hand, and a wall of rippling energy stopped the bullets in their tracks.

"Joke's on you," Tatenashi taunted, "This is an AIC, an Active Inertia Canceler."

The AIC Barrier dropped, and Tatenashi snapped her fingers.

"And boom goes the dynamite." She joked.

Suddenly, the corridor lit up with spontaneous lines of explosions!

The soldiers suddenly caught fire, and their optical camouflage burned right off of their bodies.

Tatenashi found herself standing in front of a squad of black ops soldiers, all reeling from her attack.

"Did you like my Clear Passion? I did!"

The soldiers all picked up their guns, and trained them on Tatenashi once again.

I _love_ moments like these." Tatenashi grinned.

The soldiers didn't stand a chance.

* * *

Thomas sat on the couch.

That's when he noticed the couch was warm.

A relaxing sign, to most, but alarming to Thomas.

Someone had been sitting on the couch before him.

Someone was in the house with him.

Yin did her best not to breath too loudly.

She could hear Thomas get up from the couch.

That settled it: She needed to find a way out of the house.

Yin began to tiptoe her way to a room with a window. If she could open a window quietly enough, she'd be able to snap it shut and run in the hopes Thomas wouldn't be able to get outside fast enough to see her escaping.

That was her plan...

...Until she stepped on a floorboard that made a massive creak.

Change of plans.

She needed to pray.

Thomas quickly got up, and began to head towards Yin.

Yin did the one thing she could think of, and quietly lunged for her and Alex's room, silently closing the door behind her. In doing so, she'd only complicated her situation in the process.

Thomas now had her boxed in, and the only way out of the room was the door.

Yin realized another problem.

When she first moved in behind Thomas and Ichika's backs, Yin had placed her things in the room she shared with Alex. However, she made sure to stash her possessions in such a manner Thomas wouldn't find them on a whim.

She realized she'd gotten careless, and left her photo album out on the nightstand on her side of the bed.

It wasn't any regular album either.

When she left Alex for her mission, Chifuyu would send her pictures of Thomas throughout his life. That way, it felt like Yin could watch her son grow up, despite not being around to witness it actually happen.

If she tried to go to her nightstand of grab it...

...She wouldn't have enough time to hide.

Yin began to panic.

What should she do?

What _could_ she do?

She could hear Thomas's footsteps drawing nearer and nearer.

Yin gulped.

She was going to bite the bullet so hard...

The woman head Thomas's footsteps stop.

She only had a second, at most, to hide.

Yin held her breath, and jumped.

Thomas entered the room.

He looked left and right.

If he'd paid more attention, he would've noticed Yin stalking him while doing her best to not fall from the ceiling. Moments before Thomas entered, Yin had jumped and positioned herself against the ceiling, the only thing keeping her from falling were her fingers and toes pressing against the walls of the room, wedging her into a corner both literally and metaphorically.

After no sign of anyone, the boy ventured further into the room. He then noticed a photo album on the nightstand of Alex's bed. Thomas walked over to the nightstand, and realized just what the photo album was.

Yin froze.

She was so dead...

* * *

Ichika carried Charlotte all the way to the master bedroom.

He found no problem with doing so, as they were engaged and she'd be living in the same room after they were officially married.

Charlotte, on the other hand, was very anxious.

This sort of thing was all new to her, how could she cope?

Was it finally time for her to...Do the deed?

Could she really shed her innocence and become a mother?

"_Monsieur_..." Charlotte whispered.

Ichika leaned closer.

"Charlotte..." Ichika whispered.

Charlotte knew it.

It was time. Time for her to finally become an adult woman, to grow from a youthful maiden.

She could finally...

Charlotte closed her eyes with anticipation.

Time seemed to stop.

However, she then realized that time didn't stop. In fact, Charlotte opened her eyes to find Ichika had backed off and was gathering women's clothing, and handing the garments to Charlotte for her to look at.

"This..." Charlotte gawked, "This is..."

Charlotte realized she was holding a very lovely wedding dress.

She also realized it was soon to be _her_ wedding dress.

"_Oui_!" Ichika said, "Would you care to try it on for me?"

"_Bien sur_!"

Charlotte then realized a small problem.

She was in the same room with Ichika, and she was going to change into the wedding dress.

"I'll...I'll change into it right now."

Charlotte blushed as she began to undo her maid uniform. She never changed in front of anyone, let alone a man before. It certainly didn't help that this specific man the one she loved most in life.

She sighed.

"C'mon, Charlotte," She muttered to herself, "Soon enough, you'll be doing this sort of thing once every day."

"And twice on Sundays!" Ichika chimed in.

Charlotte yelped.

"Did I say such things aloud?!"

"_Oui_!"

Charlotte whined in humiliation as she carried on with her task.

It was simply too much.

* * *

Ichika sat on the couch as he waited for Laura to change.

"A-Are you satisfied?"

Ichika turned to find Laura, wearing a naked apron as she entered the room. What he found most adorable was that she put a matching eyepatch on as well. It was almost as if she was waiting for this sort of moment to use it.

"You're _super_ cute, Laura!" Ichika complimented.

Laura couldn't take the embarrassment.

"Shut up, shut up!" She cried in humiliation.

Ichika doted and doted, further toying with Laura.

Laura wanted to make him stop...

...But she was enjoying it way too much.

She just couldn't help herself.

* * *

One soldier tried to take Tatenashi from behind with his fists.

Tatenashi spun around the soldier, and evaded the gunfire from his friends. The shots instead struck the soldier in the leg, and he dropped onto the ground after losing the strength to walk.

The soldiers trailed Tatenashi with bullets as she cartwheeled like a gymnast.

One soldier ended being caught in the line of fire as a result, and was struck in the left midsection.

Tatenashi jumped, and twirled through the air.

As she landed, she brought her heel down upon a third soldier's collar, dropping him instantly.

Tatenashi jumped around, and landed another devastating kick to the tactical helmet of another soldier, smashing its visor open and sending the soldier crashing to the ground.

Tatenashi then slid across the ground, and tripped another soldier by his ankle, causing him to fall back on his head.

There was one last soldier standing.

Tatenashi jumped high into the air.

As she came down, she delivered a mighty jab to the last soldier's solar plexus, and stood as the soldier dropped unconscious.

She sighed, disappointed.

"Jeez," She pitied, "You guys are so inelegant."

* * *

Chifuyu stood in another corridor.

The sounds of echoing IS thrusters could be heard.

Suddenly, a navy-blue Fang Quake IS Unit skated into the corridor.

Chifuyu smirked.

_"About time..."_

The Fang Quake stopped in its tracks, as the pilot squinted to take a look at the woman in front of her.

Chifuyu grinned.

Without warning, Chifuyu lunged right for the Fang Quake.

"Come on, then!" Chifuyu challenged.

Chifuyu swung the blades in her hand hard enough to make the Fang Quake lose balance. The woman struck the IS right in the leg, causing the Unit to nearly topple and fall over. The pilot quickly recovered, and finally got a good look at Chifuyu.

"No way..." Gawked the pilot, "The Brunhilde?!"

The two locked eyes.

"What's wrong?" Taunted Chifuyu, "It's unwise to be so idle. I, the first Brunhilde, am standing before you."

Chifuyu pointed the tip of her blade at the Fang Quake.

"You're only chance now is to come at me with everything you've got...Leader."

"Leader" began to gulp, Chifuyu knew exactly who she was.

"I know for a fact the United States has better things to do with is time than raiding an all-girls school all the way on the other side of the world. Especially one that's protected by the UN."

"And?"

"Sorry, but the Unregistered IS Cores aren't here."

Leader growled.

"It should also be known that the male IS Pilots aren't here either. Not that it'd help you if they were..."

"What?"

"Those boys aren't ones to be taken lightly, Leader. If you really thought you could just come one day and snatch them up, you're talking mad shit. The only reason I sent them away wasn't for their safety, I just didn't want the situation to get complicated."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Let me guess." Said Chifuyu, "Somebody back in the States must be trying to make Unmanned IS Units, aren't they? But to do that, they need Unregistered Cores that were used in preexisting Unmanned IS Units. Which brings you here, the one place where it's been confirmed said IS Cores exist."

Leader growled again.

Chifuyu had Leader all figured out.

"Sorry to say, but you're little visit here was totally pointless!"

Chifuyu once again rushed Leader.

The fight was on.

* * *

Tatenashi stood guard over the defeated soldiers.

"That looks to be all of 'em..." She muttered.

She pulled up a holo-screen.

"Let's see..." Tatenashi muttered as she began to ID the soldiers.

"Interesting," She whispered, "They're American Spec-Ops...And yet...There was a gap of time between their arrival and the IS Academy having the blackout, odd...If they were the ones who hacked us, wouldn't their infiltration and the blackout be simultaneous?"

How could that be?

The only reason they wouldn't have been so quick in response to the blackout would mean...

"Wait...So the Americans...Aren't the hackers?" Tatenashi realized.

Suddenly, Tatenashi heard a gunshot, and felt a piercing sting run her through the torso.

She screamed for a moment.

One of the soldiers she defeated wasn't unconscious. The soldier was playing possum, watching her and waiting for the ideal moment to strike. The moment her back was turned, the soldier got up, pulled his sidearm, and fired a round into her back.

Blood erupted from her lips and she writhed in agony on the ground, nursing her front.

She did the only thing she could think.

"I...Ichika..."

With her last moment of consciousness, Tatenashi sent an SOS to Ichika.

The soldiers all began to get back up. They stood over her, whispering a discussion of what they should do with Tatenashi. Tatenashi knew she wasn't going to bounce back and fight them off on her own, not with the wound the soldier gave her.

If she fell here, then the squad would be free to do as they pleased with the IS Academy.

But now, the only thing she could do was pray for her survival and the boys to reach the IS Academy in time to stop the Spec-Ops squadron from completing whatever mission they came here to do.

She couldn't let them have the last laugh.

It was now up to the boys to save the day.

* * *

**A/N: I was a little nervous writing this chapter, and right now I'm wondering if I need to switch to an M-Rating.**

**But whatever happens, the next chapter is going to be a big one. Thomas might just find his mother, and what will happen if he does might unleash an Armageddon...**

**But whatever happens next, I hope you look forward to it!**

**The 4th Male Pilot is soon to be revealed!**

**But is he really the 4th?**

**Next time: World Purge Part 3.**

**Tatenashi is defeated, and the only chance to fend off the American Special Ops force that has infiltrated the IS Academy is the boys! But with the boys all scattered, can they reach the IS Academy in time to save the day?**

**And what of the girls trapped within World Purge? Can they find the strength to see through their fantasy?**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated, and show that you care!**


	31. World Purge Part 3

**Aha! We're back! I was talking with others on how things will go in World Purge, and I made changes to the original idea, I thinking this newer version is a lot better!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**Tatenashi is down, her last act being to send a distress call to Ichika. With danger looming far greater than before in the real world, can the Representative Candidates find some way of seeing past their delusions before it's too late?**

**Can Ichika rally the other boys, and make it to the IS Academy in time to save the day?**

* * *

Ichika had no idea how, nor why.

But without warning, Tatenashi's special ringtone went off on his phone.

Ichika pulled out his phone, and looked.

"What's she gonna do now-?!" Ichika gasped dramatically as he realized what happened.

Tatenashi had left a message, with an picture of her on the floor and bleeding out.

"_Get back IS Acad Now._" The message read.

Ichika was so blindsided by the situation, he was stuck in a pause for utter confusion. But after a single second of gawking at the image, Ichika shot out of his seat, and ran for the Byakushiki.

Ichika entered Kagaribi's lab to discover the woman really had put the Byakushiki into Default Shift. Whereas the Unit was in its pristine white Second Shift, it now was in a dull gray Default Shift.

But that didn't matter, he could still make things work.

Kagaribi was sitting down in front of a computer, monitoring the Byakushiki's data.

Her vision was blinded as Ichika dumped his IS Academy school uniform on her head.

"Hey-?!"

"Sorry!" Ichika said as he climbed into the Byakushiki's cockpit. He activated the Byakushiki and broke free of the scanning device it was hooked up to. Ichika took a couple steps before turning back to Kagaribi.

"What're you doing?! I need to-?!"

"I gotta get back to the IS Academy stat!" Ichika explained, "I promise I'll come back after to finish...Whatever the thing you were doing. Sorry!"

"For what?"

"The hole in the wall!"

"What hole in the-?!"

Ichika suddenly smashed right through the wall of Kagaribi's lab, and took flight.

"I said I wasn't finished yet!" Cried Kagaribi, "I was trying to fix the...power supply..."

Kagaribi sighed, as Ichika had already flown out of earshot.

"Well," She muttered to herself, "He said he'd be back later."

The woman quickly raced back to her monitor.

"Now that I've got time," She muttered, "Might as well see about the data I collected..."

Kagaribi stared intently at her monitor screen as she studied the Byakushiki's data.

Ichika flew far and fast.

It was only too late the boy realized just what Kagaribi was attempting to do before he took the Byakushiki.

Kagaribi was attempting to use the Byakushiki's Default Shift as a means of fixing the Byakushiki's power-consumption and energy capacity. However, Ichika had taken the Byakushiki while she was doing so, meaning he'd interrupted the process altogether. In anything, he only ended up making the Byakushiki's power issue even worse, as he currently had have of his previous power capacity.

Right now, he had a maximum of 200%, as opposed to 400%, and far less than the standard 800%.

And the power gauge was dropping by a digit every few seconds.

However, if he was smart, he'd enough power to reach the IS Academy and save Tatenashi before the Byakushiki went into mandatory-unlock.

But he had to hurry.

Ichika quickly began to text a message to Elias, and one to Thomas to alert the boys of the situation.

It was up to the other boys to actually respond.

* * *

Elias felt his phone vibrate.

"Who could that be...?" He muttered as he pulled the device out.

He'd found that Ichika had left a text message.

"_Get to IS Academy, ASAP!_"

Ichika also took the liberty of attaching the image of Tatenashi bleeding out.

Elias gawked.

"What's wrong, Master Elias?" Inquired Maria.

"I must go!"

"To where?"

Elias showed the phone to Maria, who gasped in horror as she saw the picture.

"I need to get to the IS Academy!"

"But, Master Elias, you won't make it!"

"It doesn't matter! I mustn't stop for anything!"

"That's not what I meant."

"Hm?"

"I believe I know a way you can return to the Academy from here in the span of an hour. But it's far too dangerous, I don't want you to-"

"It doesn't matter! Lives could be at risk!"

"I knew you wouldn't take no for an answer..." Muttered Maria, "Quickly, follow me!"

Maria and Elias rushed for the IS Production Facility. Maria swiped a key-card, and ushered Elias into the facility. Elias had a gut feeling of what Maria was leading him into, and quickly began to look around.

"I..." Elias started.

"Hm?"

"As much as I feel the urgency of getting to the IS Academy," Elias confessed, "I don't feel right with simply snatching up the Knight Gunner while the technicians are busy, Mother and Father will be most cross..."

"We're not going to take the Knight Gunner."

"What?"

Maria smirked as she guided Elias to a testing area.

"I doubt your Father and Mother will mind if we borrow a Legionary just for this..."

"You mean-?!"

"We'll have you give the Legionary an impromptu test-flight!"

Maria ushered Elias into a maintenance room, an Inactive Legionary standing inside.

"We'll have to be quick. Hurry and-?!"

Elias simply climbed into the Legionary's cockpit, not even bothering to change into a pilot uniform.

"But Master Elias, what abou-?!"

"We have no time!"

Elias activated the Legionary, and quickly began to move for the exit.

An Audio Bar popped up in the Legionary's HUD.

"_Who're you-?! Master Elias?!_" Cried the caller.

"I'm quite sorry," Said Elias, "But I must get back to the IS Academy this instant!"

"_Master Elias! You're piloting a prototype Legionary! It's not finished yet!_"

"Are the propulsion systems working?"

"_Y-Yes, but-?!_"

"That's all I need."

"_But the thrusters aren't finished! We haven't calibrated them yet! Your parents will want you to answer for this!_"

"Tell them to make an appointment, then!"

Maria opened up the maintenance room's blast door, and Elias took flight.

"Maria, what's your plan?"

"_In order to reach the IS Academy as soon as possible,_" Explained Maria, "_You'll have to dive from orbit._"

"What?!"

"_There's one problem however,_" Said Maria, "_The Legionary you're using isn't currently capable of going beyond the Earth's habitable atmosphere. At most, you'll have a few moments before you suffocate or freeze._"

"Then there's still enough time for me to manage."

Elias turned to the sky, and began to fly higher and higher.

The plan was to sit in orbit as the Earth rotated, rather than flying directly from one location to another. By doing this, Elias would reach the IS Academy far faster than if he'd simply flown over.

IS Units were originally meant for space exploration, and this would be a means of revitalizing such. However, as the Generations went, they were lees oriented to space, meaning Elias was making a very dangerous gamble with the Legionary as it was.

Elias began to feel the Legionary shake as he traveled higher and higher.

"_Son!_" Snapped Oliver, on the Audio Bar.

"Father?"

"_What do you think you're doing?! Have you gone mad?!_"

"Not quite yet, Father."

"_Return the Legionary Unit this instant!_"

"I will when I'm done."

"_What's wrong with you?! I know your mother and I haven't been the model parents, but this is your father giving you and order, son!_"

"A parent wants their child to grasp the steering wheel of life with both hands, no?" Said Elias, "Well, this is me taking the wheel and charting my own course!"

"_What are you going on about, Elias?!_" Cried Rose, as she entered the room.

"I'm sorry, Mother and Father," Said Elias, "But my friends need me. I must go to them!"

Elias forcibly muted the Audio Bar, allowing him to focus on his surroundings.

It was getting harder to breath each and every second.

* * *

Thomas sat down on Alex's bed as he flipped through the pages of the photo album.

He began to recount each and every photo from when and where it was taken.

All the way back from birthday parties, to outings, and so much more. Thomas realized that these were all the photos Chifuyu would take of him. Was this where all those pictures went? It all made sense now...

But, what were the photos all doing here?

If they were put into this photo album, then why had Thomas never seen it before?

Thomas closed the album and noticed the book's cover.

He'd seen it only once before.

Silver plating on the corners, leather-like cover, and a journalistic book spine.

This was the book in that strange car back from the beach!

Thomas recalled quite clearly now.

Aside from the whole Gospel Incident, Thomas remembered discovering that black car in the forest besides the beach. He'd found a duffel bag, which he'd assumed could've been a body bag. The car itself seemed like a patrol car, with a computer built into the dash.

He'd also found the journal sitting in the passenger seat.

It finally dawned Thomas that the journal wasn't a journal, but the photo album he was now reading.

But something didn't add up.

Neither Chifuyu nor Alex owned the car. At least, he didn't believe either of them owned it. He hadn't seen the black car before, and certainly since. But if it wasn't theirs, then who's car was it?

It was obvious that the car was related to Chifuyu and Alex, but what was the connection?

Did Alex arrive in the car? Was that how he arrived at the Beach Trip?

It'd seem most logical...

Yin was having a meltdown as she clung to the corner of the ceiling.

Thomas was sitting on the bed, and currently had her back turned to her. She didn't have anything covering her face, unlike back when she'd actually conversed with Thomas during the School Festival. At that time, Thomas understood that Yin was there to help, and didn't think any better of it. However, Thomas had no idea Yin was living in the house they shared with the Orimura siblings.

If Thomas looked in her direction...

...It would be all over.

She needed to get out of the room.

But if she did literally so much as shift her weight, Thomas would catch her 9/10.

There was no way out...

Yin would've been overjoyed at the thought of her and Thomas finally being mother and son. However, she'd abandoned him for 16 years, and Thomas didn't strike her as the forgiving kind of son.

All because Yin didn't think properly.

Thomas suddenly looked up from the photo album.

Yin felt her heart stop.

She was finished.

Thomas slowly began to turn around.

He didn't know why, but he felt he was being watched.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

Yin saw her only chance.

_"Forgive me, sweetie..."_ Yin thought, as she prepared to bolt to the door.

Thomas turned to the opposite side, and began to pull out his phone.

Yin sprang, and launched right to the doorway.

Thomas whipped around as he heard a stomp from the door.

He saw a woman as she raced out the door.

He would've pursued right out of the gate.

But for a single moment, he saw long, snow-white hair.

Thomas froze for a moment as his mind began to go back in time. Back to the Beach Trip, when he thought he'd seen a woman with the same snow-white hair. Back to Kana, who had snow-white hair. Back to that strange dream he had, where he thought he'd seen his mother.

But he never saw his mom.

"Hey!" Thomas shouted as he rushed after the woman, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

Thomas rounded the corner as he chased the mystery person all the way to the front door. The woman rushed out the door and ran fast enough to keep escaping Thomas's sight. But with every time Thomas had gotten another glimpse of the woman, he was reminded of times he'd seen the snow-white hair. and stopped for a few moments as he remembered.

Was Kana the one working with Chifuyu back at the Beach Trip?

Kana was the only one with that recurring snow-white hair, so it stood to reason what Thomas was currently thinking.

The dream, the woman in the hallway, and the one in the locker rooms during the School Festival, they must've been the same person.

But that would mean...

That would mean Kana was...

It couldn't be!

But it made sense.

Chifuyu must've been working with Kana, but for which side? For Phantom Task? That wouldn't make sense, since that would mean Kana was the one trying to stop Autumn from abducting Thomas in that encounter.

But Kana was actively trying to abduct Thomas when they'd faced each other.

Kana wasn't the woman Thomas had glimpsed.

But if not her, then who?

Thomas had completely about the text message.

He wanted answers.

And he was very close to getting them.

The text probably wasn't too important anyway...

* * *

Chifuyu and Leader went head-to-head against each other.

The IS Instructor leapt about the dark hallway as Leader struggled to keep up. Despite the obvious advantage Leader had with an IS Unit, Chifuyu was easily ripping her a new one with a smile.

With swing after swing, Chifuyu kept activating the Fang Quake's Absolute Defense.

How could one woman with a mere handful of swords put the most powerful weapon on Earth to shame?

Chifuyu threw a blade, bouncing it off Leader's wrist and letting it sheath itself in the floor.

"I have on question," Inquired Leader, "You really think the male pilots could actually beat me?"

"Of course." Sneered Chifuyu, "Like I said; I sent them off so they wouldn't complicate the situation. Y'see, I've got a bit of a strained relationship with two of them. If they were here, they'd kick your ass."

"As if!" Laughed Leader, "I'm a trained Special Ops soldier, you're talking pitting me against a trio of kids in high school!"

"And? They've fought worse without a sweat."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means if you're having this much trouble against me, a single woman without anything special...Well, I'd hate to break it to you, but you'd be ripped to shreds in seconds facing the boys."

Leader growled, angered by Chifuyu's taunting.

"It's a shame, though." Chifuyu sneered as she drew two more blades, "I would've loved to watch the boys smack the crap out of you."

"But if they aren't here," Questioned Leader, "Then why challenge me?! There's no point, we would've left if there's nothing here!"

"You'd stick around and comb this place head-to-toe. There are various students here, which makes this my problem." Corrected Chifuyu, "And if I'm right, the boys will get word about what's going down right about now, and be here soon. If that's the case, they'd be itching for an opportunity to hurt. So..."

Chifuyu once again raised her blade against Leader.

"...I'll finish this before they return, save them the trouble. It's been a while since I've had a good scrape, so make a good sport of this, yeah?"

Chifuyu rushed Leader once more, and whacked away with her blades.

* * *

Ichika pulled up a satellite-image map as he neared the IS Academy.

He had about 99% power left, using the bulk of it to fly at top speed for so long had drained more than half within less than half-an-hour. Ichika didn't really care, however, he was far too focused on reaching the Academy.

He'd finally gotten a lock on Tatenashi's distress signal.

"There you are."

Ichika sped up, flying to Tatenashi's location with ramming speed.

And with the smashing of a wall, Ichika had found himself in the IS Academy's bunker.

The boy looked to his left...

...To find Spec-Ops soldiers carrying Tatenashi off.

Ichika's Yukihira Nagata was a tool of righteous combat. He decided not to use it anger, hate, fear, or spite. He'd only raise it against evil, or in an IS Match. He'd never use it on anyone who wouldn't survive it.

But seeing Tatenashi...

...Ichika was doing his best to resist the urge to cut his foes into bloody halves.

"LET GO OF HER!" Ichika shouted, rushing the soldiers.

Ichika grabbed one soldier by the head, and slammed him into his teammate hard enough to knock out the both of them for a good while.

However, the rest of the Spec-Ops squadron quickly pulled their guns and opened fire.

Ichika bopped each of them on the head hard enough to give them concussions.

The boy rushed over to Tatenashi, and picked her up in his arms.

"Tatenashi? Tatenashi! Wake up!" Cried Ichika.

Tatenashi slowly opened her eyes.

"Ichika..."

"You're gonna be okay...You'll be okay!" Ichika cried, lifting the girl up, "I'm taking you to the Infirmary right now!"

"M'fine..." Tatenashi whispered, "Don't worry about me..."

Suddenly, Tatenashi pulled up a Holo-Tab with a map of the IS Academy.

"You need to go here...They need you...Now..."

Ichika finally realized the gravity of the situation.

As much as he wanted to stay by Tatenashi's side to make sure she'd pull through, he had to prioritize for the bigger picture.

"Understood."

* * *

Elias began to see the void of space.

He was gasping for air.

Why were the stars so blurry?

"M...ia?" He tried to speak.

"_Master Elias!_" Cried Maria, "_You have to come down, now! You're running out of air! You'll suffocate if you go higher!_"

"Can't...See...Right..."

"_NO! Stay with me, Master! Focus on my voice! ELIAS!_"

Elias could hardly hear Maria.

He blinked profusely as he tried to correct his vision.

Suddenly, he heard a faint crack.

Elias looked down, and realized the Legionary was beginning to freeze over!

"Wha...On?"

"_Master Elias! You have to pull back down! The Legionary you're piloting isn't meant to go that far into orbit! The propulsion system is being pushed too far with the way you keep going too fast! Slow down before you kill the thrusters!_"

The Legionary's boot thrusters began to pop and push Elias out of alignment.

Elias could feel the chill all over his body, effectively snapping him back to attention.

However...

Elias began hear the Legionary sputter and die on him.

He'd pushed the thruster hard enough, to the point where he began to feel weightless.

Elias was so disoriented, he couldn't tell if he was falling up or rising down.

Elias tried to take in another breath of air.

But there was no air for him to breath.

The boy felt his body turn cold as he began to black out.

"_Master Elias? Master Elias! Stay with us!_"

Elias didn't hear Maria's voice.

He'd passed out.

* * *

"No, no NO!" Cried Kanzashi, monitoring the Representative Candidates' vitals as they sat in the IS Core Network Interface.

Their brain patterns were all over.

If things kept up as they were...

"They'll be lost forever at this rate!" Cried the girl.

Kanzashi began to type away at her keyboard. If the girls wouldn't snap out of it on their own, she'd have to try and pull them back herself. Kanzashi began to try and manually abort the Interface and pull the girls back to reality.

At least, she tried.

The System gave her little more than an "Error" Tab.

_"What do I do now?"_ Kanzashi pondered.

Suddenly, she heard the door open.

Kanzashi turned to find Ichika tumbling through the door as the Byakushiki suddenly recalled, leading Ichika to fall on the floor with a grunt. Ichika scrambled to his feet and rushed up to Kanzashi to greet her.

"Ichika?!"

"Kanzashi?!"

"What're you doing here?!"

"What're _you_ doing here?!"

"There's no time to explain!" Said Kanzashi, "You're arrival is going to be a great help!"

"Huh?!"

* * *

Elias was currently falling back to the Earth.

His current position was somewhere in the area between China and Japan.

"_Master Elias! Wake up!_" Cried Maria.

Elias was unresponsive.

Maria was in a frenzy.

If Elias didn't wake up soon...

But there was nothing she could do other than scream and shout in the hopes he'd hear her.

"_Elias! SON!_" Cried Oliver, "_What were you thinking?! Is this some sort of plea to get my attention? Why?! Why would you do something like this?! You're my son, dammit! You...Shouldn't feel like this is the only way to get me to notice..._"

Oliver's words fell on deaf ears.

But they soon weren't deaf.

Elias blinked.

He could breath!

As Elias plummeted to the Earth below, he found that he was able to breath a lot easier.

But what was-Oh, right! He was attempting to jump orbit to reach the IS Academy!

Elias then realized he was falling rather quickly.

"I'm alright!"

"_Master Elias?!_"

"_Son?!_"

"Father, Maria," Said Elias, "It's me. I'm okay."

The other end of the communications was filled with cries of joy and relief.

"We have a problem, though," Said Elias, "It worked, I think I'm somewhere Japan...I can't really tell precisely. I'll attempt to orient now."

Elias fired up the thruster...

...Only to realize he was in free-fall.

"We have another problem," Said Elias, "The propulsion system is shot!"

"_The propulsion system on the Legionary you're using wasn't calibrated!_" Explained Oliver, "_You must've over-exerted them, the readings imply that the entire damn structure was fused: Your Legionary's thrusters are now just a lump of dead weight._"

"Oh..."

Elias looked all over the IS Unit, and noticed the single wing with 5 Optical Drones. Unlike the Knight Gunner, the Legionary only had one wing, and half the Optical Drones as a result. In fact, the Legionary was essentially a cheaper version of the Knight Gunner.

But if the Optical Drones worked...

"Master Elias, you still have access to the Legionary's air-brake flaps! You may be able to slow your descent-"

"Wait! I've got an idea!"

"Hm?"

Elias quickly pulled up a map of his location.

"Come on..." He muttered, "There!"

Elias had quickly marked the IS Academy's location.

"_Son, what are you going to do?!_"

"Something stupid in principle, but quite worthwhile in payoff. Are the Legionary's Optical Drones online?"

"_Yes? But why?_"

"I'll have to use them instead to guide my fall."

"_You'll what?!_"

Elias then deployed all 5 Optical Drones. Instead of rushing outward to fight an enemy, the Optical Drones returned to Elias's side and rammed him head-on, slowly changing his trajectory.

Elias looked down-or in this case, up-to the Earth, and saw Japan slowly enveloping his vision by the second.

He was out of time.

The Optical Drones began to steer Elias just off the shore of Japan, and the IS Academy was slowly coming into view.

Elias then realized a 3rd problem.

How was he going to land?

Elias quickly began to look in the Legionary's arsenal.

"Aha!" Elias cheered as he deployed the Legionary's Barrier Shield. With a great struggle, Elias had managed to put the Barrier Shield out in front, serving as something to slow his fall.

Elias gave another command to the Optical Drones.

The Drones re-oriented and began to push back up against Elias, although it didn't feel that they did much, Elias could tell that the Drones were effectively beginning to break his fall.

Now all he had to do was not die upon arrival.

The Optical Drones quickly began to orient Elias over to the Byakushiki's last known location.

Elias could see a building, and shut his eyes as he braced for impact.

The Legionary had managed to survive smashing right into the side of the IS Academy, going through several walls of the bunker before Elias could feel the Legionary collide with something as it stopped.

Elias opened his eyes to find that the crash landing had ripped apart almost half of the Legionary's armor plating, the Optical Drones were nowhere to be found, and Elias realized he'd let go of the Barrier Shield as he hit the first wall.

"Any landing you can walk away from..." He muttered, getting the Unit to its feet.

Elias then noticed his clothes had been ripped as well, and caked in dust.

The boy sighed as he walked the Legionary to Ichika's location.

After several minutes of Elias doing his best to not let the Legionary buckle under its own weight, he came upon the door to the IS Academy's OS-Interface room. The Byakushiki's last known position was just beyond the door.

Elias entered, and was met with Kanzashi ushering Ichika to an Interface Terminal.

"Elias? What the heck happened to you?" Said Ichika.

"I...Fell." Elias said, jumping out of the Legionary's cockpit and dusting himself off.

"It's a good thing you guys arrived," Said Kanzashi, "The IS Academy is under attack from some hacker. We sent the Representative Candidates in earlier in order to fix the system, but something's attacked them as well!"

"Wha?!"

"Their brain activity is out of whack, and they won't wake up."

"So, what do we do?" Said Elias, "We're pilots, not mad scientists!"

"You two will have to perform a cyber-dive into the system and try to bring everyone back."

Ichika and Elias looked to each other.

"I'm concerned." Said Elias, "Where's Thomas?"

"I sent him a text, but he hasn't responded or shown up yet..."

"We'll have to do this without him, then. Time is of the essence!"

"Right."

Ichika and Elias quickly rushed to their seats, and entered the world of Virtual Reality.

But would they succumb like the others?

* * *

Leader fired away at Chifuyu with a PDW.

However, Chifuyu was bouncing about the corridor, and Leader was unable to read her movements. Chifuyu bounced from the floor, to the wall, to the ceiling, and danced as though no-one was watching.

However...

Chifuyu rushed in for another attack.

"Got you!" Shouted Leader, "Don't even try!"

Leader had gotten the drop on Chifuyu and attempted to smash her right into the floor.

Chifuyu's swords sank into the ground around Leader.

"Too slow!" Snapped Chifuyu.

Leader blinked.

Chifuyu had completely evaded her attack faster than she could see!

Chifuyu smirked as she leapt into the air above Leader, a very strong string in her hands. Chifuyu spun over Leader's head, and the string began to loop around Leader's neck, no doubt in what that meant.

Chifuyu landed behind Leader, and pulled the string.

Leader realized Chifuyu was strangling her with the string.

"You're relying on your Absolute Defense? Really?" Sneered Chifuyu, "That explains why you were so slow. You think that because no matter what happens, you won't get fatally wounded. Because of that, you feel too relaxed."

Chifuyu pulled harder and harder.

Leader felt as though Chifuyu was using the string to rip her head off her shoulders.

Suddenly, the Fang Quake's Absolute Defense kicked in, severing the string and releasing Leader from Chifuyu's hold. Leader embraced the sensation of air filling her lungs as she swung at Chifuyu.

But once again, Chifuyu had instantly vanished from her line of sight.

Leader then felt her opponent send her stumbling as Chifuyu delivered a devastating kick to her midsection.

The pilot finally recovered as she hit the wall.

"I'll admit it," Said Leader, "Your physical abilities are to be reckoned with. But-"

"Stop wasting time with pointless babble, I'll die over boredom before you kill me at this rate." Chifuyu spat.

Leader growled, and rushed Chifuyu once again. Leader swung at Chifuyu, and Chifuyu naturally jumped away to dodge.

But Leader had finally figured her out.

Chifuyu was in the air.

It took a single moment, and Leader took advantage.

"I got you!" She shouted, taking her free hand and firing away with a jab, "It's over!"

Leader smashed Chifuyu right in the ribs, and sent her to the floor.

Such an attack would have ripped a normal person in two.

But Chifuyu wasn't a normal person.

Chifuyu hit the ground as she hugged her body, nursing her agonizing pain.

But for some strange reason, Chifuyu was laughing.

Leader wasn't feeling very victorious, but rather panicked.

It was then that Leader caught on to Chifuyu.

_"The...The blades!"_ Leader thought.

Leader realized that she was surrounded by Chifuyu's discarded swords. Such a detail didn't seem very relevant, since it was just all the damaged blades Chifuyu tossed aside in favor of sharper ones.

But the discarded blades were far more useful discarded.

Chifuyu sat up, grinning.

"Smithereens time." She sang.

In a mere second, the blades glowed.

Leader was unable to flee from the radius in time.

Within the span of a heartbeat, the blades exploded, filling the hall with a fireball!

Chifuyu grinned and sighed as she got up.

"Now that that's all taken care of..." She muttered, turning around and strolling away.

"I'M NOT DONE YEEEEEEEET!" Screamed Leader.

Without warning, Leader jumped right out of the fire that enveloped her, and rushed Chifuyu.

Chifuyu was too slow to turn around.

The next thing she knew, Leader was right in her face.

* * *

**A/N: Done! I've been discussing about what happens after World Purge. There's a lot going on, and a lot more to come, so let's hope that everything comes out okay.**

**Elias will receive a huge upgrade to the Knight Gunner after World Purge, I'll give the profile on the V2 Knight Gunner and the Full-Package Byakushiki on the concluding World Purge Chapter.**

**But dang, this is getting exciting!**

**After World Purge, I'll be writing a Christmas Chapter, and a New Year's Chapter, so stick around for those!**

**Next Time: World Purge Part 4.**

**Ichika and Elias, having narrowly managed to get back to the IS Academy, cyber-dive into the VR World to rescue the Representative Candidates from the clutches of World Purge!**

**But will they be able to resist the temptations of their own heats' desires?**

**And what of Thomas? Will he be able to finally find the answers to the secret, burning questions of his mother?**

**Whatever happens, Thomas's life will never be the same.**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	32. World Purge Part 4

**I started this right after finishing the last chapter, I want to wrap up World Purge ASAP so I can write a Christmas Special Chapter and New Year Special, so here's to hoping I manage to make it work!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own American Idiot.**

**After narrowly surviving reckless stunts upon returning to the IS Academy, Ichika and Elias perform a cyber-dive into the VR World in the hopes of rescuing the other Representative Candidates from the clutches of World Purge!**

**But are they immune to World Purge's power?**

**Will they be able to resist temptations of their own hearts' desire?**

**And what of Thomas? Will he finally be able to discover the answers of his long-held questions about his mother?**

* * *

Thomas rushed after the white-haired woman.

He didn't even know why he was chasing her.

Under normal circumstances, Thomas would've pursued the woman because she was in the house he lived in. He didn't know her, and it was very suspicious that a random woman would be in a house she didn't have any reason to be in.

But that wasn't why Thomas was chasing her.

He'd seen that woman several times before, but they were still strangers to each other. Much to Thomas's confusion. That woman seemed so familiar to him, as if he'd knew her from somewhere.

But where?

The woman was running rather quickly, which seemed obvious since she probably broke into a house and Thomas had caught her.

Perhaps the situation was exactly as it seemed.

But why did Thomas feel so distracted about it? Why did he feel as though there was a deeper meaning?

If Thomas had actually checked the text message he received, he wouldn't be chasing this mystery woman down the street.

But that didn't matter.

Thomas wanted answers.

He'd do anything to get them.

And his definition of "Anything" was growing and growing...

The boy didn't understand it then, but he'd soon come to realize that he'd lose sight of what he deemed important in life. All that talk of friends and family would soon be put to the test by his own volition.

He just didn't know it yet.

* * *

Ichika and Elias gawked as they took their first steps into cyberspace.

"Such...Infinity..." Elias muttered.

Ichika was speechless.

"Focus!" Said Kanzashi.

"Oh, right!" Ichika remembered.

"What are we to do with all these doors?" Said Elias, gesturing to the doors in front of them.

There were 6 doors, each of them daring the boys to enter.

"_Go in them, everyone else should be on the other side._" Said Kanzashi.

Ichika and Elias turned to each other once more.

"Let's work our way down to the middle, I guess."

Ichika went to the furthest left door, and Elias went for the furthest right.

With one last to each other, they nodded.

The boys entered the doors.

Whatever awaited them on the other side...

...They chose not to fear it.

* * *

Ichika positioned himself over Lingyin.

Lingyin's heart was aflutter.

Were they really about to do it?

Had they done it before?

Lingyin tried to think, but no such recollection came to mind.

She wasn't really for what came after it!

"I-Ichika," Pleaded Lingyin, "Please..."

"You're so cute..." Ichika whispered.

Ichika unbuttoned Lingyin's uniform and bra. The girl panicked, they were moving far too fast for her liking, and she wasn't ready! She had to assert herself before Ichika went too far!

Lingyin crossed her arms over her chest.

"Wait-?!"

Suddenly, Ichika grabbed her wrists and removed her arms from her chest, restraining her hands against the bed as her bra and uniform came further undone, exposing Lingyin's modest chest for Ichika to witness.

"Oh yeah..." Ichika savored the sight, "Sweet."

Ichika's hands let go of Lingyin's wrists, and moved closer and closer to her panties.

However, instead of removing them, Ichika's hands went back up, running against Lingyin's thigh and reaching up her skirt.

"W-Wait!" Lingyin cried, "I-I'm not ready!"

But Lingyin's mind had succumbed.

"Ichika..." She whispered one last time before closing her eyes.

She couldn't fight back.

After all, this was what she wanted.

At last...

Ichika threw open the door to the room with a loud crash, only to find...

...Ichika getting pervy with Lingyin?!

That didn't make sense!

He was Ichika! So who was this guy touching Lingyin?!

"HEY!" Snapped Ichika, "What d'you think you're doing to Lingyin, bastard?!"

Lingyin opened her eyes to find to Ichikas locking eyes with each other.

What was going on?! Where did this new Ichika come from?!

Wait...

What was with his clothes? Why were they so...Familiar?

_"He's wearing an IS Pilot Uniform?!" Realized Lingyin, "But...That means...That means the Ichika in front of me...He's a fake! This isn't real! This is...My ideal Ichika...And my ideal world? It's all just fake! Ichika's way too dumb to do this sort of stuff with me!"_

_"Foreign element detected in World Purge. Error."_

_"Rogue elements must be removed..."_

Suddenly, the fake Ichika's eyes turned golden.

"Preparing to neutralize foreign element." He chanted monotonously, taking up a fighting stance.

Suddenly, Lingyin felt the feedback surging through her mind as the world around her fell apart. She'd become self-aware, and World Purge wasn't able to take the strain of Lingyin's realization. Sadly, Lingyin's autonomy was beginning to turn back on her as she felt the world around her come to pieces.

Ichika panicked.

Lingyin wouldn't be able to handle that stress for very long.

The very notion of an entire digital world crumbling apart and the damage dealt to the brain was far more than Ichika wanted to think about.

The fake Ichika rushed in to attack.

But Ichika was far faster.

In the IS Academy's VR World, speed was not limited by the body. A person's speed was determined by the speed their mind moved.

Ichika could feel this sensation of being unencumbered, and quickly struck.

His foe rushed in with an overhead.

Ichika met the punch with his own, his arm suddenly curling around his opponent's arm with unforeseen flexibility. The fake Ichika fired away with a barrage of punches, but to no avail.

For Ichika, it was like time had slowed to a standstill.

Whereas he began to block with his full technique, he found he could move so fast while relaxing.

Ichika had dropped his guard, and simply played with his slothful opponent ever so casually, parrying punches without a care to the wind.

He could hear Lingyin crying in pain, and quickly concluded to finish his little display.

The fake Ichika came in with a right hook.

Ichika countered by ducking, and smashing the fake Ichika in the jaw with a left overhand.

This sent the fake Ichika flying. The artificial boy digitized and vanished as the world around Lingyin and Ichika turned white.

In the blink of an eye, Lingyin and Ichika found themselves back in cyberspace.

Lingyin kept her eyes shut as she nursed her head.

"Hey," Ichika cooed, "It's okay now. I'm here. You don't have to worry anymore..."

"Ichika-?!" Lingyin realized she was...Exposed.

Lingyin screamed as she covered herself.

"You pervert!"

"Hey! It wasn't me! I didn't do anything!"

"...Put them back on for me."

"Huh?"

"I said put my clothes back on me!"

Ichika yelped in realization.

"You're the one who stripped me, take responsibility!"

"Like I said, it wasn't me!"

Lingyin looked ready to break down and cry like a child, utterly humiliated that the real Ichika was gawking at her while she was exposed. It was all so wonderful, with her ideal Ichika being bold enough to do this to her.

But the wet-noodle Ichika really was simply wasn't capable of doing such things.

Ichika caved in as Lingyin gave him the adorable puppy-dog begging face.

"A-Alright, fine..." Ichika grumbled as he prepared to put dress Lingyin.

The first thing to do...

...Was pull up Lingyin's panties.

"I-I'll have to pull up your underwear, okay?" Ichika said.

Ichika looked away, his face flushed red with the steamy situation. Lingyin closed her eyes as she felt Ichika's hands begin to pull up her panties. However, a quick glance revealed that Ichika was unable to see what he was doing.

"What the hell?!" Cried Lingyin.

"I'm trying not to look, gimme a break!" Ichika defended.

Lingyin thought of a solution.

"So you just need to look without too much skin, right?"

Lingyin began to pull up her skirt, stopping short of her private parts. Ichika looked down as he began to pull Lingyin's underwear up her legs. He did his best to remain calm in the face of such a situation.

_"This is Lingyin,"_ He thought, _"My classmate at the IS Academy, childhood friend, and she won't try to kick the crap out of me if I mess up this time, right?"_

Ichika could feel that the underwear refused to go any further, and knew his task was finished.

Suddenly Kanzashi popped up on a holo-screen, startling both Lingyin and Ichika.

"_That's enough for now,_" Scoffed Kanzashi, "_Lingyin, return for now. We need to assess if the attack affected you in any way._"

"Uh...Right!" Lingyin said, "Thanks, Ichika...For waking me up..."

Lingyin dematerialized as she returned to the real world.

"Where are you, Thomas? You should be here by now..." Ichika muttered.

Thomas hadn't responded to Ichika's text, meaning he was either not answering by choice, or he was unable to check his phone.

Whatever the case, Ichika had to press on without Thomas.

It wasn't that Ichika feared the worst for Thomas...

...But rather, Ichika didn't feel safe without his friend by his side.

Ichika turned back to the doors.

"One down," Ichika mumbled to himself, "And a whole mess to go."

* * *

The water in the bathtub began to spill out onto the floor, along with rose petals.

Cecelia sat in Elias's lap and he caressed her.

She could feel Elias's chest against her back. The soft yet toned texture of his muscles rubbed against her back in just the right way, as though she was being enveloped in a big, muscly blanket.

The sensation was simply too great for Cecelia to resist.

Elias's hands had finally reach her chest, the moment Cecelia had been anticipating for so long.

Elias cupped Cecelia's breasts, which were barely obscured by the bathwater.

"Say," Observed Elias, "It appears you've grown here too~!"

Cecelia began to moan as Elias toyed with her body.

"It would seem I'll have to take new measurements for _yet another_ pair of unmentionables for you..." Elias shamed sensually.

"I'm sorry..." Cecelia whined, ashamed of herself for giving Elias such a task.

"Don't seem so hateful of that," Whispered Elias, "In my personal preference..."

Suddenly, Elias's hands firmly clamped down upon Cecelia's bosom.

"...I'd like that you'd go up another cup size!"

Cecelia squealed as her heart skipped a beat, startled by Elias's bold move.

Suddenly, the door to the bath burst opened...

...Revealing none other than Elias, gawking.

"You there!" He declared, "How dare you?!"

Cecelia snapped out of her haze.

The Elias that had just entered was wearing an...IS Pilot uniform?! But how?! That was something that she'd only seen in her dreams...How could an object from her fantasy really exist? Let alone be adorned by Elias?

Unless...Her dreams were real.

But that couldn't be! It just couldn't!

If they were real, then that would mean the world around her, were everything was so perfect...

...Was all a lie.

It finally dawned Cecelia.

She'd been indulging a lie this whole time!

This Elias who'd catered to her every whim, the Elias who'd always assure her that what see was seeing was indeed what she believed, was a complete fake! It was obvious Elias did indeed love Cecelia, but the real Elias would never be so dominating, he was far too frightened of crossing the line to act superior.

Cecelia felt so ashamed, now that her true desires were laid bare for Elias to condemn.

"Curses!" Snapped the fake Elias, hopping out of the bath.

"Have at you!" Elias rushed in.

However, the fake Elias quickly took down the real Elias with an elbow right to the face. Elias stumbled back, and found that his foe snatched his wrist with one hand, and began to pummel him with the other.

Elias stumbled back as he reeled from the assault.

He needed to get creative.

The boy backed towards the rack with a basket full of Cecelia's clothes.

"Pah! Look at you, you muddy-meddled coward!" Taunted the impostor, "You should understand you've no chance! In this realm...I am invincible!"

Elias looked to his surroundings.

He had a basket full of clothes, and a pole with a towel hook.

The fake Elias leapt into the air, coming down upon his foe with an assault from above.

However, Elias was far craftier.

The boy snatched the clothing, and threw it into the fake Elias's face. The clothes completely threw the faker off his game, as he was now unable to see anything.

"Gah?! He snatched up clothes while I was unable to evade?!" Cried the fake.

The artificial Elias then landed as he removed the clothes covering his head.

Elias swiped the towel pole, and rushed his adversary.

"Let me demonstrate a little trick, courtesy of one Thomas Scott!" Declared Elias as he went in for the attack.

The faker, unable to counter Elias's weapon, was doomed.

"When one is unable to use their fists to settle a bout," Recited Elias, "A blunt object will do quite nicely!"

Elias fired away as he whacked his doppelganger in his joints. The boy crippled his foe with a blow to the knees, and two strikes to the arms. Elias finished his combo-attack by putting his twin in a headlock with the pole and spinning. Elias threw his opponent, and finished him with a powerful blow to the chin.

"This is for treating Lady Cecelia like an object, you man-whore! I apologize for swearing!" Elias announced.

Cecelia watched Elias in that single moment.

The moment after he'd just finished his foe, but before he'd relaxed. That single moment in time froze for Cecelia to witness in awe. She'd never seen Elias act so fierce before. The sight was simply a wonder for Cecelia to behold.

The world around them went white, and they were back in cyberspace.

Cecelia then realized...

...She was naked and Elias was actually gawking at her.

Cecelia covered herself as she yelped. Elias looked away, feverishly blushing with embarrassment.

"Y-You..." Cecelia muttered.

"What?"

"You saw it, didn't you?!"

"See wha-?!"

"Don't deny it! You saw it! My naked body, my fantasy..."

Cecelia looked as though she was ready to break down and cry deeply.

"...You saw how weak I am...I'll never...Get married now..."

"What?"

"I should just die of embarrassment..." Cecelia whimpered.

Elias could tell Cecelia was quite fragile at the moment, and he'd have to defuse the situation before she lost it. However, what was a boy supposed to say at a time like this? Elias had no clue how to talk to a girl in this situation.

Maria's words echoed in Elias's mind.

_"Why,"_ She said, _"It's as simple as talking to boys, Master."_

Elias gulped.

He'd have to try and make Cecelia confident again.

But being blunt wouldn't work, he'd have to be far more perceptive to Cecelia's feminine side instead.

"It was...Beautiful."

Cecelia gasped as she heard the words from Elias's lips.

"I was entranced by your...Feminine wiles..." Elias was saying the first thing that came to mind.

And somehow, it was actually working.

"Your body..." Elias continued, "It's so beautiful, like that of a sixteenth-century painting. If I were an artist, I'd aspire to create a masterpiece that's half as beautiful as you, because nothing can hope to match your beauty."

The words began to flow a bit easier for Elias as he went along.

"Yours is a beauty that's beyond the real world."

Cecelia swooned and squealed with delight as she heard Elias's praises.

"You lovely boy!" She said, "You know how to make a girl's head spin~!"

With that, Cecelia vanished, and returned to the real world.

Elias slumped and sighed.

"I...I did it." He muttered to himself, "I actually went and said such things to her directly...But what was happening in that...Thing?"

Kanzashi popped up.

"_Well,_" Kanzashi theorized, "_I'd suspect that whatever's attacking them is doing so by showing everyone their heart's desires. Creating an ideal world, where everything is perfect...Well, there's nothing that can really fight satisfaction like that. The reason they haven't shaken it off is because nobody would want to leave their dreams._"

"The ultimate weakness..." Muttered Elias, "A person's content with life's offer."

Elias turned to look back to the remaining doors.

"We have to hurry," Said Elias, "There's no telling what'll happen if everyone's left to rot away in their fantasy forever..."

Elias walked up, and entered another door.

* * *

Ichika had finally stopped doting on Laura.

Instead, he was now going to play with her instead.

"Vell zhen," He snickered, "Since you're already vearing an apron, und ve're in zhe kitchen, vhy don't you and I...Get cooking?"

Ichika grinned evilly as he cracked a horse whip.

"Und now..." He giggled.

Ichika came closer, and used the horse whip to move the lace of Laura's apron. Ichika did so to get a clear view of Laura's behind, further humiliating the German girl as though she were nothing more than a mere toy for Ichika to play with to his heart's content.

Laura tensed as she could feel the tip of the horse whip run slowly against her hide.

Thankfully for her, Ichika wasn't about to actually whip her, but tease her relentlessly.

"S-Stop!" Pleaded Laura, "_Dumkomphf_! Stop zhat right now!"

Ichika chuckled as Laura remembered she wasn't allowed to resist.

Her will was so easily broken by Ichika's advance, she didn't want to resist anyway.

Ichika then pulled Laura in for a hug, and spooned her as the couple stood in the kitchen.

"I know vhat I vant to cash my IOU in on now..." He whispered, "How about ve spend zhe entire day making love?"

Ichika blew softly into Laura's ear, causing the girl's heart to race faster than ever before.

"I...I..."

Laura couldn't take much more, and fainted.

Ichika licked his lips as he prepared to take full advantage.

Suddenly, a boot kicked open and broke a cupboard door, revealing none other than Ichika boxed inside.

"Okay okay," Ichika said as he popped out of the cupboard, "What. The. Actual. Fuck?!"

The fake Ichika placed Laura to the side as he traded blows with Ichika.

Ichika swiped a frying pan from the oven, and used it to parry his duplicate's horse whip. Ichika twirled the frying pan in his hand like a Jedi with a lightsaber. His newfound ability to do nearly anything was growing more and more intoxicating.

The fake Ichika drew back the horse whip...

...Only to have Ichika parry, and deliver a beheading sweep to the neck as a counter.

With that, Ichika brought Laura to cyberspace.

Laura was still out cold, dizzy from her Ichika making her heart race.

Ichika watched as Laura's face softened, sleeping peacefully.

He chuckled.

"She's totally looking like Sleeping Beauty right now..." Ichika whispered.

The boy turned back to the remaining doors.

"Which one should I choose next?"

* * *

Ichika laughed like a dominating villain.

Charlotte began to undo the straps of her maid outfit, and let the clothing drop. Her maid outfit lay at her feet as she adjusted to the chill of the master bedroom. Ichika grinned, watching eagerly as he eyed Charlotte's half-naked body.

Charlotte wore nothing more than lingerie, pink underwear, stockings, and arm warmers.

"_M-Monsieur_..." She said, "You're staring too much..."

"Hm?" Ichika taunted sensually, drawing a saber and approaching Charlotte.

Charlotte made a muffled gasp as she realized Ichika was now pointing the tip of the saber to her. Was Ichika angry with her in some way? Whatever the case, Charlotte's heart quivered with fear as she felt the cold tip of the metal blade tap her sternum.

However, instead of plunging the weapon into Charlotte, Ichika began to raise the saber higher.

With a flick of the wrist, Ichika had cut Charlotte's bra in two!

Charlotte yelped in surprise, dropping into a squat as she covered her exposed chest in humiliation.

Ichika laughed, asserting his superiority.

Charlotte was happy, however.

This was something she'd longed for. Since Ichika was so dominating over Charlotte, she would have nothing to fear. With Ichika as her husband and master, she wouldn't need to think or do anything for herself, as she could confide in Ichika.

She submitted completely.

_"No!" Cried Kanzashi, "We're losing Charlotte! Elias! Hurry!"_

"Stop right there!" Elias declared, jumping into the master bedroom's window, shattering it with a loud crash. Elias held a rapier in his hand, and placed himself between Charlotte and Ichika.

"_Sacre bleu_!" Ichika gasped.

Elias quickly jumped at Ichika, hacking away until Ichika fell to the ground, immobile.

"_Oh mon Dieu_!" Screamed Charlotte in horror, "What have you done?!"

"Charlotte!" Said Elias, turning around to look the girl in the eyes, "You have to wake up!"

"You...You killed _monsieur_!"

"I didn't!" Elias explained, "He's not real!"

"You monster!"

"Charlotte-oh, to Hell with it!"

Elias placed his left hand on Charlotte's shoulder, and delivered a powerful slap across the girl's face.

"Wake up, you ninny!" Elias shouted as he shook Charlotte back and forth.

Charlotte blinked as she registered Elias's slap.

Why did this...Murderer keep calling her by name? Did she know him? Why did he seem so familiar?

Wait! Could it be?

"E..." Charlotte tried to remember, "...Elias?"

"Aha! So you _do_ remember me! You asked me to help oversee IS shipping that time, remember? When Thomas had that fight with Miss Orimura, and Ichika and Thomas couldn't deploy their Units?"

"I...Remember...What happened?"

Elias tried to explain the situation to Charlotte. However, behind Elias's back, Ichika began to rise from the ground silently. His eyes opened, revealing they'd turned golden, now that World Purge's illusion had shattered.

"-But more importantly," Said Elias, "We need to get you-Wait."

Suddenly, Elias turned around to find Ichika trying to bring his saber down upon Elias.

Elias moved far quicker, and began to poke and prod Ichika like a pin cushion. Just before Ichika fell back, Elias ran him through and pulled Ichika back up, and returned to jabbing away at Ichika.

Elias finished the job with his biggest slash, and turned around as he paused for effect.

The world turned white, and Charlotte found herself back in cyberspace.

Charlotte then realized that Elias had seen her almost naked.

"Y-You lecherous pervert!" Charlotte cried in dismay as she rushed Elias.

Elias turned to face Charlotte, onto to be met with Charlotte poking him right in the eyes with her fingers.

"OH GOD!" Elias cried, falling onto the ground as he writhed in agony, "MY EYES!"

Ichika turned around to find Elias fumbling about on the ground.

"Guys? What's goin-Charlotte?! What's with the getup?!" Ichika cried as he averted his eyes.

"Wha?! But you were the one who made me put this on! Come to think of it, you also made me take it off..."

"That wasn't me!"

"I...I can't deal with you perverts right now!" Charlotte cried as she returned to the real world.

Elias could feel his eyes finally stop hurting, and sighed.

"Only two doors left." Ichika groaned.

"This is just ridiculous...Why is everyone always so naughty in their fantasies?" Complained Elias, "Why couldn't we have something easy to deal with? Like a completely normal situation?"

"I don't know...But I'm getting worried. Thomas should be here..."

"Perhaps he feels we can do this ourselves..."

"I'm not so sure..." Ichika said.

"Right," Elias concluded, "I'll take the left door, you can get the right door."

Suddenly, a large chest landed right next to the boys with a massive thud.

"_I'm sending you some special weapons and gear,_" Said Kanzashi, "_Houki's version of Ichika is no doubt the strongest of all._"

"Right..." Muttered Ichika, rummaging through the chest.

"_Be on your guard,_" Cautioned Kanzashi, "_Nana's also still in there, and she might have a very dangerous version of Thomas in there along with her._"

"I'll do what I can." Said Elias.

"Kendo armor?!" Ichika blurted out.

"I'm going ahead, good luck!" Said Elias, as he dashed into the left door.

* * *

Thomas straddled Nana's legs and held her up as they continuously made out.

Nana had steered Thomas until he fell back on the bed.

"You've fallen for my trap~!" She giggled.

"Oh?" Thomas sneered, rolling over Nana to counterattack.

"How?!" Cried Nana, "I had you!"

"That's 'cause I let you have me!" Teased Thomas, "And now..."

Thomas's face became sensual as his hypnotic gaze met Nana's eyes, entrancing her completely.

But Thomas's hypnosis was short-lived.

Without warning, Elias kicked in the door to Nana's room!

"What the shit?!" Cried Nana.

Thomas quickly got up and faced Elias.

"Really?" Challenged Thomas, "I'll just crush you right now."

Thomas eyes turned golden.

"I won't let you hold Nana in this illusion any longer!" Elias declared, "No matter what, reality always prevails!"

Elias rushed in.

The boy threw a punch, trying to quickly take Thomas down before he could react. However, in the blink of an eye, Thomas caught the punch with one hand, and snatched Elias's wrist with the other.

Thomas threw Elias across the room, hitting the wall.

Elias got back up, and tried again.

This time, Thomas didn't block, but ducked under Elias's punch. Thomas stood up, and then clotheslined Elias from behind. Elias got up once more, furiously trying to finish Thomas. But each time, Thomas countered as though this was second nature to him.

This was impossible!

How was Elias supposed to beat Thomas? The person who taught Elias he knew?

The only thing that would work was if Elias somehow did something that Thomas would never expect.

Nana had no clue what was going on.

But Elias looked so familiar...And the strange, skimpy clothing he was wearing reminded her of something. But what was it?

Wait...

Elias Dansforth, from the IS Academy?! But what was he doing here?

The more Nana began to think about it, she realized just how fabricated the world around her was. Thomas was never approved by her parents, and they never got engaged. As much as Nana wanted it to happen, she knew that it would a long time before her dream would come true.

Elias did his best, but was unable to find an opening he could exploit.

Thomas taught Elias everything, and he knew Elias what would do before Elias did.

Thomas was coming at Elias with a right hook.

It was then that Elias saw his opening.

Thomas had hitched his shoulder as he threw the right hook.

Elias duck, and countered.

Before Thomas could go through with the hook, Elias snatched Thomas by the arm with his own, and jumped. Little did Elias understand at the time, but what he did next was a jujitsu technique he'd seen Thomas perform.

Elias curled up, and flipped Thomas, laying him out instantly.

Nana and Elias went back into cyberspace.

"Is everything alright, Nana?" Said Elias.

"Yeah..." Sighed Nana, "It's just...Is it wrong that I was enjoying it? Living with Thomas?"

"Not wrong at all," Consoled Elias, "I wouldn't be surprised if Thomas himself wanted the very same."

"You think so?"

"I know it."

"...Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"Later."

Nana vanished.

Elias sat down, and waited for Ichika.

* * *

Houki sat and swooned as Ichika defeated her over and over again.

She'd fallen for the only person who had been able to defeat her in kendo.

This was like something from a fantasy.

"Y'know..." She said to Ichika, "I-I wouldn't..."

"Hm?" Ichika said.

"I wouldn't mind if you decide to marry into the Shinonono family, since you're living here and all...That way, the two of us would..."

"I'd love to!" Ichika said happily.

"Really?!" Gawked Houki, not expecting the result she received.

"Hold on!" Declared a new voice.

Houki and Ichika turned to see a figure in all-white kendo armor, directly contrasting Ichika's black kendo gear. Houki didn't know why, but the mysterious person sounded familiar, and exuded a nostalgic aura.

"U-Um..." Said the newcomer, "I'm here to challenge this dojo!"

"What?"

"I...I heard I'm-I mean, Ichika Orimura is here, and wish to challenge him to single combat!"

Houki had no idea what was going on, but laughed at the idea that this nobody who just popped out of the woodwork was so arrogant to believe he could stand toe-to-toe with Ichika in kendo.

"Really now?" Houki smirked, amused.

Ichika and the mystery man took their sides, and began.

Ichika whacked the opponent right on the head with his Shinai, and the boy fell to the floor right away.

"One point!" Called Houki.

The boy got up.

Little did Houki know that both Ichika in the black kendo gear, and the boy in the white kendo gear were the same person.

The real Ichika shook off the blow to the head.

_"Crap!"_ He thought, _"I didn't even see him move! No wonder Kanzashi said he was the strongest version! This guy's on a totally different level! I may be faster in this VR, but that doesn't matter if he can move faster than I can think!"_

"Once more!" The real Ichika called.

The boys dueled round after round. And every single time, the end result was the same. Houki's Ichika kept delivering a single strike to one of Ichika's joints or vital areas, dropping him like a sandbag.

But, time after time, Ichika kept getting back up.

No matter how hard, he wouldn't falter.

Houki was in danger, and he had to win to save her.

But there was a single problem.

No matter the technique, no matter what Ichika tried, his artificial clone seemed to anticipate and counter his every move at the speed of light. As much control and technique Ichika used, his foe always have a better one lined up to knock him down.

Whack! Ichika had been struck in the leg.

Ichika dropped onto one knee, gasping for air and a moment's rest.

"Dammit!" He snapped.

Houki studied the boy in white kendo gear.

His determination was simply admirable, despite how miserable his skills were. No matter how badly he was beaten, he always got back up to challenge Ichika once more. But he was so pathetic, it was tragic to watch.

Why did he bother getting back up? Ichika would just knock him down again.

But why did that seem so eerily familiar?

She knew that stubbornness, almost as if he was physically unable to back down. This newcomer's piss-poor kendo performance was also strangely familiar as well.

Ichika panted as he stared down his foe.

This simply wasn't working.

None of his kendo techniques would work!

However...

He couldn't back down.

Ichika stood up straight, mirroring his impostor's stance.

It was then that Houki saw it.

Both boys were the exact same height, and their kendo gear made it seem as though they were Yin and Yang. Sunlight leaking in from the door of the dojo began to sparkle over the mystery boy.

Houki could see his red eyes.

It couldn't be...This strange challenger seemed so familiar, and seemed a bit like Ichika for some reason. However, Ichika never lost, and wouldn't need the determination to get back up since he never fell.

Unless...

"Again!"

The boy's voice was what finally made Houki see.

Underneath all the kendo armor, underneath the helmet and mask he wore...

...Ichika was right in front of her all along.

The boys charged.

But unlike the many times where Ichika was knocked down faster than he could see, Ichika anticipated and countered his foe's attack.

Whack!

Houki's perfect Ichika, who was undefeated, had finally found his match.

The faux Ichika fell to the floor, and did not get up.

It was finally clear to Houki which Ichika was real.

Not the Ichika she'd dreamed of, who was omnipotent and beat anyone he crossed blades with. But rather, the Ichika who wasn't what she dreamed of. The difference was that the real Ichika, no matter how badly the beating, always found a way to get back up, dispel the fear, and carry on.

Houki had finally become aware, and woke up.

* * *

Ichika realized he was back in cyberspace, and sighed.

"Holy cow," He said, "That one hurt."

"Ichika?"

Ichika turned around to find Elias.

"Looks like that's the last of it."

"Let's get going-?!"

Suddenly, two more doors appeared in front of the boys.

"What's this?"

"I dunno..."

The doors opened, a white light flashing through.

"That's weird-?!"

Suddenly, the boys began to hear strange sounds.

The doors became hypnotic, as if they were begging to boys to go through.

_"Ichika!"_ Called Houki's voice, _"Come on! This way!"_

_"Elias!"_ Called Cecelia, _"Please hurry!"_

Ichika and Elias looked to each other, and began to march towards the doors.

the boys went their separate ways, and the doors snapped shut behind them.

_"World Purge, re-initialized."_

* * *

Houki's vision went white as she adjusted to the bright light of the bunker.

"Houki!" Someone cried in relief.

Houki opened her eyes to find Nana, Charlotte, Cecelia, Lingyin, and Laura standing over her.

"What's going on?" Houki said.

"Something attacked us in the VR," Explained Nana, "But it looks like Ichika and Elias pulled us out."

"Oh..."

"But..."

"What's wrong?"

The girls all turned to look at the two boys still within the interface.

"Neither of them have woken up yet."

"What?! We have to go back in to get them!"

"I think not." Said Kanzashi.

"Why not?!"

"Whatever attacked you, it looks like it's now interfering with our ability to communicate with the boys. I think that whatever got you now has the guys."

"Who cares? We gotta help them!"

"But that's just it," Said Kanzashi, "We don't know if you're safe now. If you go back in, you could get caught again, and that'll just make a bigger mess then before!"

"Zhen vhat do ve do?"

Nana pulled out her phone.

"I'm calling Thomas. He might be able to help."

"Where is he?"

"Don't know, don't care." Said Nana, "Whatever he's doing, this is way more important!"

* * *

Thomas heard the notification bell on his phone.

The boy kept his eyes on his prey as he pulled out his phone, glancing to check and see what was going on.

Nana was calling him.

"_We need you at the IS Academy. Right now._" She started.

"Kinda busy."

"_There's no time for that!_"

"But-!"

"_No buts!_" Snapped Nana, "_Ichika and Elias are getting the Matrix experience, and we need to get back here and help!_"

"What?!"

"_Would it make you go any faster if I said lives are at risk?_"

"Hang on, looks like Ichika sent me a text earlier. I'll get back to you on that."

"_Wai-!_"

Thomas quickly pulled up Ichika's text message, and almost tripped and fell when he saw Tatenashi bleeding as she writhed on the ground. What the hell was happening at the IS Academy?! The text was dated a good while ago, meaning...

...That Thomas purposely ignored a cry for help.

But the mystery woman was right there!

That very woman had been watching Thomas, but for some unknown reason. Thomas wanted to get answers, and that woman was obviously the only one who'd give him the ones he needed. He was catching up, and he'd finally get her.

But...What about the IS Academy?

Things looked very serious over there. If Thomas were to just abandon them, the situation would deteriorate. Sure, the Representative Candidates were all capable, but seeing as Nana called Thomas, the situation wasn't resolved.

Answers? Or friends?

Normally, Thomas wouldn't hesitate on the matter, and go to save his friends. So why wasn't he going to go help them now?

Thomas shut his eyes as he tried to figure out what he should do.

If he took off for the IS Academy, he'd lost his chance to get answers.

But if he pursued, he risked making that situation at the IS Academy worse.

He friends were in danger.

But there'd be no telling when an opportunity like this would come again.

He could only choose one.

"Damn it..." Thomas growled as he stopped in his tracks.

**"Revive!"**

Thomas launched into the air, using the deployment to gain elevation for takeoff. Thomas looked back to the fleeing woman one last time, and sighed. Thomas turned to the opposite direction, and flew right for the IS Academy.

He made his choice.

He could only pray it was the right one.

* * *

**A/N: I'm so sorry! It looks like the Christmas chapter is gonna be a bit late, since I wasn't able to finish World Purge Part 4 and 5 earlier due to schedule issues. But I'll do my best to finish everything before the week is out! It might be a bit jarring since I try to do weekly releases, rather than daily, so I apologize if all this seems rushed.**

**But anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

**Anyway, I'll talk about a new feature that will happen starting January next year.**

**The new update is that I'm creating a spinoff story for American Idiot! This spin-off story will just be a collection of chapters I wasn't able to put into the main story, and filler chapters for the fun of it. I hope you'll enjoy it!**

**As everyone's anticipating the debut of the Knight Gunner Remake and the Full-Package Byakushiki, I'm so sorry. Their profiles won't be featured in this chapter, but I promise, I PROMISE, the profiles will be put in World Purge Part 5.**

**I'm a man of my word, and I'm going to keep it that way.**

**See you soon!**

**Next time: World Purge Part 5.**

**Ichika and Elias have fallen prey to World Purge. Thomas finally responds to the situation, and races against time to save the day! But is Thomas able to fend off his own desires, and finally bring everyone back?**

**Whatever happens, Thomas's life will never be the same.**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**

**Happy Holidays, wherever you are in the world!**


	33. World Purge Part 5

**I'm almost through it all, and I don't know if I'll be able to do this in time, but I'm doing this so I can put of the Christmas Chapters on time, as well as the New Year Chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**After managing to bring the Representative Candidates back to reality, Ichika and Elias fall prey to World Purge themselves! What are their ideal worlds? And will they be able to see through the illusion?**

**Thankfully, Thomas finally responds to the situation, and comes to assist!**

**In a race against time, can Thomas manage to fight through the digital world, and save the day once and for all? Will he too fall under World Purge's spell, and be trapped in a world of his own desires?**

**Or does he have nothing left to want?**

**Whatever happens, Thomas's life will never be the same.**

* * *

Chloe Chronicle floated through cyberspace.

But she wasn't aimless. She was searching for something.

As she drifted, she found it.

Chloe now stood before a massive crystal formation within cyberspace.

"Ah..."

Chloe drifted closer and closer, not caring for any danger that may or may not be lurking about.

"So this is the System Core..."

Chloe navigated deeper and deeper into the crystal formation. She'd gone so deep, she found a cave within the crystal leading to the heart of the massive formation. She went even deeper, and finally stopped as she found a unique crystal before her.

Encased in the crystal was a strange woman-like figure.

But what was it doing there?

"It's just as Mama Tabane said..." Chloe said to herself.

Tabane's instructions had guided Chloe here, to this very spot.

"The Core of Chifuyu Orimura's Personal IS Unit," Said Chloe, "The Kurezakura."

Chloe's hand pressed against the crystal that encased the Kurezakura. She attempted to try an interface with it.

This new development would prove very interesting for Tabane's research.

* * *

Thomas flew at top speed for the IS Academy.

He ended up choosing friends over answers.

Part of him was angry, furious that fate played the biggest troll on him. It really wasn't fair that he was put into a situation where he had to pick between two things he wanted most. Part of him wanted to continue chasing that woman, instead of helping his friends. Sometimes, it felt as though Ichika and the others held him back, rather than help him got forward.

It may not have been their fault, but everyone kept getting in his way.

Thomas's anger turned to disappointment as he reached the IS Academy.

He was simply so fed up, he couldn't even be mad.

After all, this was to be expected.

Thomas quickly knew where he needed to go, as there was a building marked with a massive hole in the side.

"Follow the explosions, Jazz." He muttered.

Thomas flew into the building, and found himself in a fortified corridor. The boy began to trace Nana's call to his phone from the Revive, and skated down the corridor as he located Nana's phone.

A minute later, he fond himself in the OS-Interface room.

"Stop the clock!" He announced, "I'm here!"

"About time!" Said Nana, "Where have you been?"

"Looking for answers, but none of that matters now." Said Thomas as he recalled the Revive.

"Why not?"

"Because right when I was close to getting them," Growled Thomas, "This shit goes down!"

"Sorry..."

"Don't bother apologizing, I don't even care anymore." Thomas groaned.

"You made it just in time." Said Kanzashi, "The school was attacked by a hacker, and we got stuck in a blackout. Everyone tried going into a VR of the IS Academy's Operating System, but they were attacked by something from the outside, and were trapped. Ichika and Elias went in and got everyone out, but..."

"Say no more." Said Thomas, "Just pull up my chair."

"Right."

In a matter of minutes, Thomas changed into his pilot uniform and prepared for a cyber-dive.

"Be careful in there," Said Nana, "Whatever attacked us made worlds based on everyone's desires. Whatever you do, don't go into a door that just pops up like an ad on an unprotected site, the free reward's not worth it!"

"Yeah, yeah." Said Thomas, sitting down in the interface.

"Please bring Elias back!" Pleaded Cecelia.

"Mhm."

"And make sure Ichika's okay! It's so obvious he was too dumb and the attacker took advantage of it!" Criticized Lingyin.

"And that's why you'll never get him to notice you." Retorted Thomas.

"W-Wha?! What's that supposed the mean?!"

"Shut up and let me do my thing already."

"O-Okay then," Said Kanzashi, "Stand by for cyber-dive."

Thomas's blunt insult took everyone by surprise. He was snarky and sassy at times, but right now, he seemed far more irritated than usual. Did they pull him away from something he deemed important?

Thomas refused to share, so they wouldn't know.

Thomas breathed in as he left the real world, and entered the virtual.

* * *

"Let's party!" Shouted Ichika.

Everyone roared in agreement, and began to mingle and converse with each other.

Currently, Ichika was attending a party everyone was throwing at the Gotanda Family Restaurant.

Houki, Alex, Lingyin, Chifuyu, Thomas, Laura, Charlotte, Nana, Cecelia, Elias, Maya, Tabane, Tatenashi, Kanzashi, Honne, Dan Gotanda and Ran Gotanda were all there, and they were greatly enjoying themselves.

It was perfect.

Lingyin and Ran were cooking in the kitchen, coming out and playing a bit until someone requested one dish or another. Alex and Chifuyu ended up in a contest to see who could drink more, with Maya watching them to make sure they didn't overdo it. Everyone else was talking eagerly to one another on any subject that came to mind, transitioning to another in a matter of seconds.

There was nothing more that Ichika wanted.

It was so perfect, too perfect when Ichika thought about it.

Almost unreal...

Houki suddenly downed the drink in her hand.

"Ichika!" She called.

"Huh?"

"C'mere!"

"Houki wha-?!"

Suddenly, Houki puckered and smashed her lips right into Ichika's and proceeded to make out with him.

The shock from Houki's bold move left Ichika thoughtless. Everyone all began to cheer as they encouraged Houki to make out with Ichika, showering her with praises of finally getting Ichika's first kiss.

What was he thinking about again?

Eh..It probably wasn't important.

"That's our best couple!" Shouted Thomas.

Ichika felt strange.

But it was Houki, his loving girlfriend, that helped him see the truth.

There was nothing to feel weird about.

Nothing else mattered.

* * *

"I understand." Said Elias, "I'll plan things out more carefully going forward."

"_Have a nice day, Mister Dansforth._"

Elias turned off the phone, and sighed.

"Yet another long day of this nonsense..." He muttered, "S'not like I wanted any of it..."

Elias was the CEO of the Dansforth-Alcott Corporation, as a very certain event had merged the two separate companies. Said event had left Elias quite happy, despite the constant amount of work he'd been thrown into.

That event was marrying none other than Cecelia Alcott, bringing their companies together like matrimony.

Elias had somehow become the CEO, while Cecelia settled for Secretary.

Elias came closer and closer to his office, forgetting the stressful climate of the workplace as he retreated to the sanctity of his own office room. If he made it in time, he could get any further appointments cancelled, take a bit of time to rest...

Elias burst into his office and turn around to shut the door behind him.

"Another hard day?" An all too familiar voice said behind Elias.

Elias turned to his office, and found none other than Cecelia sitting at his desk, awaiting eagerly for him.

The young man sighed in relief.

Of all the hardships in life...

...The one he was living was just too perfect.

He had a successful company, a loving wife, and plenty of good surprises around the corner.

What else could a man ask for?

Nothing, that's what.

If this was a dream...

...Elias didn't want to wake up.

"You look horrible," Cooed Cecelia, "Come over here, I'll nurse you right back to health!"

Elias staggered over, and fell into Cecelia's loving embrace.

"Your body's all tense!" Said Cecelia, "Let's soften you up~!"

Cecelia snuggled with Elias in the chair at his desk.

"Miss Secretary," Said Elias, "Can you cancel any appointment I have for the next few hours?"

"I was doing so before you came in~!"

"Ah...Good. You're always on the ball, have the rest of the day off."

"Yes sir~!"

To Elias, it felt as though Cecelia was the one running the company, and he was simply there to look pretty. Not that he was going to complain. After all, it took a great deal to run a company as large as theirs.

Cecelia was so loving and patient.

"Ssh..." She whispered softly into his ear, "Having a lovely brain like yours all work-centered can be painful, no?"

She cast a spell upon Elias.

"Don't worry," Cecelia cooed, "Soon enough, you won't have to think about anything. You can just leave it all to your wonderful Secretary, Cecelia Alcott..."

Elias's heart sped up as Cecelia began to play with his body.

She was right.

Cecelia was always the one doing so much as his Secretary, and letting her indulge herself with his body was just one of the various rewards she enjoyed for her hard toil in the workplace.

He didn't need to think, act, or say anything for himself.

All he had to do was obey her.

Cecelia began to remove Elias's clothes, as well as hers.

This was what they wanted.

* * *

Chifuyu jumped further and further back.

Leader screamed with rage as she swung savagely at Chifuyu with a Combat Knife.

Chifuyu bounced about like a bunny, flawlessly evading each of Leader's attack.

Leader was growing angry.

Even though she wasn't talking, Leader could tell that Chifuyu had so many insults lined up. The condescending look on her face, it simply served as little more than a means of silently taunting Leader relentlessly.

The pair drew near a room of the corridor.

Chifuyu jumped up in front of the doorway, and kicked Leader right in the face. The used Leader's head to launch back, and fly into the darkness of the room in front of Leader, as if to dare the IS Pilot to follow.

Leader rushed into the room, smiling.

Chifuyu had boxed herself in, and with little room to maneuver, Leader could finally wrap her hands around Chifuyu's neck, and strange her hard enough to pop her head right off her neck.

The thought of such had blinded Leader to the reality of the situation.

As Leader went further into the room, the door snapped shut behind her. Leader looked back to finally see why Chifuyu purposely chose to run into a dark room, and take Leader with her.

It was then that Leader knew she'd walked right into a trap.

"Your turn, Maya!"

Leader turned back into the room...

...Only to find Chifuyu standing in front of Maya, in a custom Rafale-Revive.

What made Leader almost wet herself is that Maya's Unit was currently carrying 4 very, very large Vulcan Gatling Guns.

"H-Hold on!" Realized Leader, "T-That's a Custom Revive! What the hell?!"

The 4 guns began to rotate, and build up speed.

"Oh boy!" Cheered Maya, "Looks like I landed A WHOPPER!"

Leader panicked.

"Q-Quad Phalanx!"

Suddenly, Maya's guns fired all at once, hailing bullets like a tropical storm down upon Leader. The Fang Quake's Absolute Defense kicked in, and Leader was pushed further and further back by the sheer quantity of Maya's bullets.

Chifuyu grinned, her back turned to Leader.

She didn't even need to look to know Leader was finished.

She calmly closed her eyes, and began to walk off.

"Eh," She muttered, "Maya n' Alex can handle the clean-up. I need a drink..."

Chifuyu left the room, and began to unwind.

* * *

Thomas found himself within cyberspace.

He'd come across two doors.

No doubt, the doors led right to his friends.

Thomas stepped forward, pondering the dilemma of which door he would take first.

"This way, Thomas!" Called a disembodied voice, "Come to Mama!"

Thomas flinched.

He looked around.

Who said that?

It wasn't the voice of anyone he knew. And yet, the voice seemed eerily familiar.

Thomas shook his head to clear his mind.

He had a job to do.

But, that voice...

...No, it didn't matter. He'd figure it out later.

Thomas walked towards the left door, and entered.

Whatever lied beyond...

...Was going to wish it was never born.

* * *

"Oh my!" Elias said with enjoyment.

Cecelia giggled.

"You know," She said, "When you said that 'oh my,' you sound like that robot. Remember? From that _Star Wars_ film? The golden robot with poor articulation? You're a bit like him, actually. So easy to embarrass, with big, round eyes...I love it."

Elias was far too deep in his haze to respond.

This uninterrupted bliss, this ability to forget the toils of reality and feel this good was simply intoxicating.

Elias simply didn't want to wake up.

What he had now, all of it, was something that was just too good to give up.

Cecelia began to nip and kiss the base of Elias's neck. Her advances made Elias's heart race, his breathing speeding up as his body began to sweat harder and harder. He didn't have to think about anything anymore.

Is was as though he'd been conquered in body, mind, and soul.

How could he fight what he wanted most?

He couldn't...

But he wouldn't have to.

Without warning, someone's fist punched right through the door to Elias's office with a loud crack. Elias and Cecelia jumped with shock and turned to the door to find a person's fist sticking through it.

The person opened their hand, and pulled it out.

"Wh-Wha-?!"

Suddenly, the person had kicked both doors hard enough to rip them off the hinges and bring them down to the floor.

Thomas stood in the doorway...

...And he did not look happy.

"W-Who the hell are you?!" Cried Elias.

Thomas, without saying a word, marched over to the couple, seething anger on his face.

Cecelia's eyes turned golden as she came up to contest Thomas.

Thomas tripped her ankle, picked her up, and threw her right out the window of Elias's office.

"JESUS CHRIST!" Elias screamed in horror.

Thomas then came up and slapped Elias right in the face.

"Wake up you arrogant shit!" Thomas grabbed Elias by the shoulders and shook him back and forth.

"W-?!"

"You really think you can live a life that's so much more stable and better than the one you're living at the IS Academy?! Did all that time I spent whipping your ass into fighting shape mean nothing?! Please, tell me on a scale of one to ten just how pissed off I'm supposed to be!"

Thomas stopped shaking Elias.

Elias realized that Thomas was wearing an IS Pilot uniform...As in the Infinite Stratos...

The Knight Gunner...

That's right...He'd been sent to the IS Academy, as a tool to be employed for the sake of saving the Dansforth Corporation...He never got married, he was far too cowardly to even ask Cecelia on a date!

This bliss, this euphoria Elias loved so dearly...

...Was just a childish fantasy he was far too fearful to go out and take himself.

The world collapsed, and Elias and Thomas sat in cyberspace.

"T-Thomas?"

"What?" Thomas growled.

"What's wrong? You look furious."

Thomas wanted to shout.

He wanted to scream at something, and throw angry punches until his anger dissipated. It would be so easy just to slip his fingers around someone's neck, and squeeze hard enough to make their eyes shoot out. He wanted to vent so badly. He'd once again been denied the chance to find some sort of closure or absolution on his burning questions in life. Of course he was furious, he'd struggled with this sort of problem all his life.

It would be so easy...

...But he wouldn't give in.

He had to keep it all bottled up. Everyone called him for help because they needed it, and it wouldn't be right to throw a tantrum because he came to their aid of his own reluctant volition. Nobody could, nor would understand what he was going through. Therefore, he really shouldn't try to waste everyone's time by lamenting over a problem they most likely wouldn't understand.

Trying to bury his woes wasn't a very good choice, but it was a far better option than the alternative.

"It's nothing." Thomas sighed.

"You're hurting over something again, aren't you? You've got _that_ look."

"What look?"

"Well," Elias described, "It's...Sort of like this combination of anger and exhaustion. You look ready to dismember someone, but you also look ready to just keel over and take a nap."

"Oh?"

"Y-Yeah."

Thomas sighed slowly.

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Oh..."

"Just get going, yeah?" Said Thomas, "I'm gonna go wake up Ichika."

"Of course..."

Elias went back to the real world, and left Thomas to his own devices.

Thomas stopped feeling sorry for himself, and sighed once more.

"Right."

Thomas felt as though he was being watched, but couldn't tell from where.

He marched over to the last door, and opened, and entered.

He wanted this day over with already.

* * *

"Hey...Ichika?"

"What Houki?"

"I'm feeling kinda...Y'know..." Houki said slowly, "Can we...Y'know?"

"R-Really?! Right now?!"

"Let's go into the bathroom~!"

Before anyone noticed, Houki grabbed Ichika by the wrist and pulled him into the restroom, quickly placing him in one of the stalls, closing and locking the door. She sealed the two of them inside the stall, and had some privacy. Strangely enough, the Gotanda Family Restaurant's restrooms were quite roomy, including the stalls.

"Houki...We shouldn't..."

"I know. But I just can't stop myself..."

Houki backed Ichika until he sat on the toilet seat, and came closer. Houki sat in Ichika's lap, and began to make out with him intensely. Ichika's will to resist was easily stripped away as Houki took control.

Thomas silently entered the restroom.

He crept up to a stall, seeing two pairs of feet facing opposite directions.

He grinned.

At least he got to have some fun in this horrible day of his.

Thomas raised his fist...

...And smashed it against the door of the stall as loud as possible.

Ichika yelped, and almost soiled himself in two different ways as he heard a loud crash. Houki, however, whipped around and broke open the door of the stall, and quickly engaged Thomas.

Thomas reacted by taking Houki and slamming her head into a faucet, and snapping her neck right after.

Houki vaporized, and was no more.

Thomas sighed.

"That was a little therapeutic..." He muttered as he went to Ichika.

"T-Thomas?! What've you done?!"

"Chill, that wasn't Houki."

"What the hell?!"

"Listen! This isn't real!"

Ichika was too overwhelmed to retort.

"There's no way in hell that any of us are so stable in life we have time to party! We're IS Boys, remember? Besides, Tabane's never around long enough for us to have an outing with her!"

_"IS Boys?"_ Ichika thought.

That sounded familiar.

IS? I-S?

The Byakushiki...

Oh...

Ichika finally realized it. He'd been living a lie and enjoyed it. Why would someone like Houki every want to go out with him? The more Ichika thought about it, the more Ichika realized just how unrealistic the world around him was.

But World Purge wasn't ready to let him wake up.

"Thomas, watch out-?!"

Suddenly, the bathroom door exploded as everyone in the other room began to swarm and flood in.

And they were all aimed at Thomas.

Thomas turned to face them.

Taking into account the overwhelming size and strength of everyone's horde-like charge, He'd be overwhelmed in a handful of moments. However, if he could get them to disperse, his chances of fighting his way out successfully went up.

The mob began to split apart, and surround Thomas.

Just what he needed.

Thomas rushed at the main concentration of the mob, and fired away with his fists.

Each blow he landed had to be a knockout, or he'd get swarmed.

As Thomas smashed one person, he'd quickly spin around as he struck another. He made sure to watch his back by keeping a continuous flow of movement, balancing out his blind spots by moving fast enough to see everything.

However...

The mob quickly began to dog-pile Thomas.

"Thomas!" Cried Ichika, still sitting on the toilet.

Had Thomas been overwhelmed?

Was he finished?

No.

In the IS Academy's virtual-reality operating system, a person's speed wasn't limited by the physical body. The only limit to how fast a person could move in the VR was how fast their mind could think.

And Thomas was famous for his quick-thinking.

In the blink of an eye, the massive dog-pile suddenly exploded!

Ichika watched as Thomas defied comprehension.

In the center of the dog-pile Thomas was moving fast enough to leave a blur! He struck one foe, and the next, and kept going round and round as he moved almost to fast for the eye to see!

The enemies around Thomas fell to the floor.

Thomas stood, frozen in time for a single instance to take in his victory.

"I feel a bit better now." Thomas muttered to himself.

Ichika was at a loss for words.

Thomas radiated a dark aura unlike ever before.

Just what happened to make him so ready to bring the pain upon the people he called friends?

Ichika pondered the question as he returned to the real world.

Thomas stood in cyberspace as he sighed in relief.

"About time, I was getting thirsty, hungry, and bored."

Thomas stretched.

_"Thomas! Come to Mama!"_

Thomas froze.

It was that voice again.

But where was it coming from?

Thomas turned around...

...To find himself standing right in front of one last door.

The door suddenly opened, as though it has a mind of its own. Thomas squinted as a white light bled through the enticing window the door provided, masking the other side completely. Whatever lied beyond the doorway, Thomas would have to go inside to see.

_"It's me, Tommy! Mama! You've had such a rough day, haven't you, sweetie? Mama will make all the heaviness go away! So come to Mama, Thomas!"_

Thomas didn't know why, but the cooing voice sounded so familiar.

He'd never heard it before, and yet it felt like he had.

Why?

He needed to check in with everyone back at the IS Academy.

But the door was right there!

He might not ever get another chance like this.

Thomas eventually caved into his curiosity, and entered the open door.

He wanted absolution.

And he'd finally get it.

The door snapped shut behind him.

* * *

"Ichika!"

"Look! He's waking up! He's okay!"

"That lovable idiot!"

Ichika opened his eyes to the ring lighting of the IS Academy's bunker.

"Ichika!" Cried Charlotte, "Are you okay? Say something!"

"Something."

"He's okay!" Rejoiced Lingyin.

"Of course I am!" Ichika grinned.

Cecelia was currently hugging Elias tightly as she went hysterical over his condition. The sight was quite fun and nice to watch. However, Ichika's positivity stopped as he noticed Nana standing over Thomas as he laid in the Interface.

"Nana? What's wrong?"

Nana turned around, revealing her somber face.

"Thomas won't wake up."

"Huh?"

"He should be waking up right now," Said Nana, "So what's wrong?"

Kanzashi looked at her monitor.

"Oh no..." Groaned Kanzashi, "Not again!"

"What?"

"Thomas...Thomas got caught."

"Oh come on!" Shouted Nana, "Really?!"

"I'm sorry."

"Should we go in to get him?"

"This whole thing's going nowhere..."

"We can't just go back in, or we'll get attacked again, and that'll just make a bigger hassle..."

Nana's head was held low.

She was losing faith.

"Hey," Ichika consoled, "We'll find a way, we always do."

Ichika came up, and gave Nana a hug to reassure the girl and comfort her.

"...Thanks."

"Hey!" Snapped Lingyin, "Why're you getting so cozy with her, huh?!"

"Lingyin," Said Cecelia, "This isn't the time for-?!"

"Uh-uh!" Said Lingyin, "Why's Ichika giving her all the attention?!"

"Lingyin..." Ichika said, confused.

"Ichika, Elias." Said Nana.

"Huh?"

"Leave the room."

"Hang on," Said Houki, "That's not necessary!"

"Wha?! Why?!" Ichika cried.

"Just...Leave the room."

"Uh...Okay..."

Nana glared angrily at Lingyin as Ichika and Elias turned and went outside the room. Elias looked nervous, as though he knew what was going on. Ichika was dumbstruck, as the situation was moving too fast for him to pick up.

Chifuyu, wearing her normal business attire, had come up a minute or so later.

"What's going on? Why are you two standing out here?"

"Parker told us to remain outside," Said Elias, "I'd rather not get in her way."

Chifuyu quickly caught on, and went to the door.

Ichika, Elias, and Chifuyu opened the door...

...Only to find Houki, Cecelia, Kanzashi, Charlotte, and Laura doing their best to restrain Lingyin and Nana.

"Come here you little fuck!" Screamed Nana.

"Big talk, divorce court!"

"You wanna talk smack, ironing board?!" Nana hissed with rage, "I'll fucking gouge your eyes out!"

"Hey, come on you two!" Said Charlotte, "This isn't getting us anywhere!"

"I'm gonna beat that little shit!" Threatened Nana, "She's gonna get it when I knock her teeth down that big mouth of hers! Ichika was trying to just trying to be a nice guy and give me a little comfort while I was sad, but NO~! That bitch just has to be a cuckold and get all huffy 'cause Ichika's a nice person and cares about others! I've fucking had it! I'm gonna give her a taste of her own medicine, see how she likes it!"

"That's not what Thomas would want!" Said Kanzashi.

"You're right," Said Nana, "BUT THOMAS ISN'T JUST GONNA MAGICALLY WAKE UP AND STOP ME!"

"Just try it!" Shouted Lingyin.

"You're not helping!" Cecelia reprimanded.

Chifuyu grew tired of the scene, and marched in.

The girls noticed, and released Lingyin and Nana, who rushed at each other, with the intent of doing as much harm as they could.

Chifuyu grabbed Lingyin's head in one hand, and Nana's in the other.

She then smashed the pair's heads together hard enough to debilitate them.

The two cried in pain, and nursed their heads.

"Well," Chifuyu growled, "Since you seem so keen on being so close together, why don't you just kiss already?! Now shut it with all the crap about killing each other, before I BURY YOU BOTH! Am I understood?"

The girls nodded, instantly abandoning their previous hatred.

"Now that you both shut up," Said Chifuyu, "Tell me-in an unbiased description-just what the hell is going on."

"Ma'am," Said Kanzashi, "We were trying to complete the operation, but everyone was under attack by some outside program. Dansforth and Orimura came back and got everyone out, but they were caught after. So, we managed to get Scott to come and rescue them."

"And since Scott's still laying over there," Concluded Chifuyu, "He's come under attack as well?"

"Yes Ma'am."

Chifuyu sighed.

"I see."

"What should we do, Ma'am?"

"Well," Chifuyu answered, "Since the immediate threat has been taken care of, we can afford to leave him be for a few minutes."

"WHAT?!" The girls said in unison.

"He's had to deal with everyone's crap today," Chifuyu said, "I'd say he's earned the right to indulge himself a little. Don't worry, I'll be sending in someone else to go get him out, so he'll only be in limbo until she gets here."

Everyone sighed.

"That said," Chifuyu continued, "You can expect that there will be severe punishments for Parker and Huang after that little episode. And since you were so bent on getting up close, you can spend your punishments together."

Lingyin and Nana looked ready to wet themselves.

"As for Orimura and Dansforth, you both need to get to your places. I know for a fact you did something reckless and disruptive to get here, so you two better get a move on, before I find out what it is you did."

"Yes Ma'am!" The two boys said, racing out of the room.

"Oh! Orimura!"

"Yes Ma'am?"

"Tatenashi's requested your presence at the Infirmary, so you can decide what to do first."

"Yes Ma'am!" Ichika said as he ran off.

"As for the rest of you," Chifuyu concluded, "I'll need Sarashki to monitor Thomas until my friend arrives. The rest of you can go about the rest of your day until you're called in for debriefing."

"Yes Ma'am!"

"Dismissed!"

Everyone all went to their respected activities, and Chifuyu pulled out her phone.

"Yin? It's me."

* * *

Thomas jolted up.

He sighed in relief.

"What a nightmare." He muttered as he got up.

Thomas had been living in the house the Scotts and the Orimuras shared. They all got along like one big, happy family. In many respects, they were a real family in all but name. They'd lived in Japan for years, and people always confused them as a whole family.

It was perfect.

Thomas yawned as he got himself dressed for the day.

Something seemed different, like something was somewhere it didn't belong.

He could hear the clattering from the kitchen.

Why did everything feel off?

Thomas finished getting dressed, and cautiously made his way out of his room.

The sliding glass door to the backyard in the living room revealed Thomas the truth of why everything seemed so strange. The sky was golden as it was the late afternoon. It was almost sundown!

So that's why everything felt so wrong!

Did he sleep in?!

Thomas looked beyond the living room, and saw the kitchen area of the house.

There was a woman standing there, her back turned to him.

Long, snow-white hair masked her head and shoulders.

Thomas walked up casually towards the woman.

"Good to see you're awake." The woman said, "Chifuyu was about to have a heart-attack when you wouldn't wake up. So, You father took Ichika and Chifuyu out for the day to calm her down. Then again-"

The woman whipped around on her heel to face Thomas.

"-That's what happens when you decide to spend all night playing video games! You had your Mama so worried!"

Thomas had witnessed the woman's full features.

She wore a sweater, jeans, and an apron as she worked on food in the kitchen. But most importantly, She had snow-white hair, blood-crimson eyes, and skin that looked as though it was untouched by the sun.

There was no doubt who this woman was.

How could he forget?

"Sorry, Mama..." Thomas whined.

"Well, not much we can do now." Sighed the woman.

"I..." Thomas muttered, "I had a nightmare."

"Hm?"

"Nothing!"

"Oh no you don't! You know better than to bottle things up with your Mama!"

"Well..." Thomas caved in, "I had a bad dream."

"Oh my...What happened?"

"I...Woke up one morning, and you weren't there."

"Oh?"

"And everybody acted like you never even existed, that I was just imagining things. It was horrible..."

The woman set down her cooking equipment as she came up, and gave Thomas a warm, tender hug.

"Don't be so scared, sweetie," She cooed softly, "Mama's always here for you, always was, and always will. You don't have to be afraid of being abandoned and ending up all alone. No matter what happens, I'll always watch over you, so that no matter when or where, you'll never be alone..."

The more Thomas gazed upon his mother, the more backfired her assurances were.

For some reason, the woman looked...Off.

But why?

This was his mother, wasn't it?

So...Why did she seem so out of place?

Wait...Her face...

That wasn't right...Or was it? What was wrong with her?

Images that Thomas couldn't recall began to flood his mind.

Was his mother...red eyes, and silver hair? Or was it short black hair and red eyes? Or was she shorter, and insane? Or was she blonde, and had a limp arm? No, or maybe red eyes, caramel hair, and sadistic?

Thomas began to feel the world around him spin.

What was going on?

"Oh my!" Cried the woman, quickly pulling Thomas back into an embrace until his dizzy spell went away.

"Don't worry," She smiled, "I'm not going anywhere...This is me, your Mama."

The woman gave Thomas a tender kiss on the forehead.

Thomas felt at ease.

This was right.

This was his mother after all...

Suddenly, the front door exploded as another woman broke in!

"Huh?!"

This woman was covered head-to-toe in a black and white Combat Suit, her face obscured by a visor. She had white hair, just like the woman Thomas had deemed mother, but the new woman's white hair was tied into a ponytail.

Wait...What?

Why did that soldierly woman seem so familiar.

Almost as if...

...As if...

The strange images once again went through Thomas's mind.

But they were so familiar.

That woman...In the locker room...In the hallway...On the beach...It was her.

Now it all made sense.

Why this woman was so out of place, why that other woman was so familiar...

...This was all a fake!

That meant...The soldierly woman was that Yin lady!

The woman rushed Yin, only to have Yin put her down on the ground with a martial arts combo.

The world went white, and Yin and Thomas stood in cyberspace.

"Nice to see you again." Said Yin.

"You're...That Yin-woman, right?"

"Yeah...It's...Me."

Suddenly, Chifuyu pulled up on a holo-screen.

"_Scott, you're back to normal, return so we can assess if anything happened to you while you were out. Yin-_"

"Miss Orimura," Interrupted Yin, "I...I need to do it."

"_What?_"

"I just can't do this anymore," Yin whined, "I just gotta."

Chifuyu was silent.

Thomas was confused.

"_Do what you have to._" Chifuyu said, the holo-tab collapsing and disappearing.

"What's that mean?" Thomas inquired.

"It means...We need to talk."

"About what? Who are you...Really?"

Yin froze.

Should she do it? Was she really going to finally expose herself? Would she finally bring this wild goose chase she'd been on for 16 years to finally come to a close? Did she really have the right to become the mother she should've been?

Yin thought long and hard, her hands moving up to her face to remove her visor.

It would be so easy...

She'd finally do the right thing.

But most of all, she'd have the closure she needed. If she finally took off her mask, come out of her shell, she'd finally know whether or not Thomas loved her, or despised her as his mother.

She would know the truth.

But...

Suddenly, instead of placing her hands to remove her visor, Yin suddenly lunged and pulled Thomas into a tight hug before he could react.

She just wasn't ready to go that far yet.

The one line she dared not to cross.

"Y'know," She whispered, "That little illusion was actually very close to the real thing."

Thomas blinked in confusion, his cheeks beginning to flush red as he felt Yin's chest against him.

One day.

One day, Yin would finally go back to being Ellen Scott.

But today wasn't that day.

"I'm glad," She said, "I'm glad there's still hope for me, Son. So, no matter where or when, You'll know I'm here..."

Thomas flinched.

"Wai-"

Thomas called out, but he was too slow.

Yin dematerialized around Thomas, and vanished.

He could still feel the warmth of Yin's body around him.

Was that real?

Who...Was Yin?

Thomas's once-angered mind softened, and remembered what he'd seen.

All the anger had simply...vanished.

Thomas sighed, not wanting to wake up, and leave the warmth Yin left him with behind.

But...As much as one can dream a utopia, everyone has to wake up and do something with their own two hands.

Thomas closed his eyes, and returned to the real world.

* * *

Thomas opened his eyes.

"Good to see you back in the land of the living." Chifuyu said, standing at Thomas's side.

Thomas groaned, and rolled over like he was trying to sleep.

"Come on, idiot," Chifuyu chuckled, "You've napped the entire day away already!"

Chifuyu picked Thomas up, and put him on his feet.

"I...Had a dream."

"Did you now?"

"Everyone was there...But Mom was too. I don't know why...But I think I know what she looks like."

Chifuyu processed, and gave Thomas a tender smile.

"Chi-Miss Orimura?" Said Thomas, "Do you...Think I'll ever get to meet my mom?"

Chifuyu was silent for a bit of time as she came up with a proper answer.

"I won't lie," Said Chifuyu, "I'm not sure you'll get to find her anytime soon, nor is she gonna magically appear if you wish hard enough. But...I'd bet my life that you'll finally find her one day, that she'll come home and we'll all be a family."

"You think so?"

"I _know_ so."

"...Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Now, go ahead and return to your dorm room. You actually slept the entire day away, it's 6:00."

"Oh..."

While you were out," Chifuyu added, "Your father came home, and found you left the door unlocked."

"Oh..."

"You'll have to bite the bullet on that one, sorry."

"Mhm..."

"Get going, I'll be finishing things up here."

Thomas trotted off.

Just who was Yin?

Thomas thought long and hard.

As the boy sat in his dorm room, he changed into his pajamas, and contemplated as night came around.

Today had been quite long.

It was dull, boring, fruitful, bad, and confusing.

But he was so deep in thought that he couldn't sleep.

Thomas walked slowly about the room as he thought about the events, both long-term and recent, that led him to this very moment. The time he spent discovering his talents as an IS Pilot back in the States, coming to the IS Academy to find his long-lost childhood friends, winning, losing, fighting for his life, making and bonding with new friends, playing the days away. He also remembered the dark secrets, Phantom Task's obsession with him, and all the bad things that happened.

Thomas stared into the night sky, uncertain of what was to come.

The unknown scared him.

But that strange question he had long forgotten came back.

What were his friends?

If it weren't for everyone, he wouldn't have come back to the IS Academy to save Ichika and Elias, but rather pursued a fleeting thing that had no guarantee of giving him the answers he'd searched for for so long.

It was what led him to that question.

What were his friends to him?

Were his friends holding him back? Or were they keeping him modest?

As hard as Thomas thought about the question, he simply couldn't find an answer.

Or, perhaps, an answer he was satisfied with.

What would he do?

Would he forsake his friends? Abandon his friends and further himself? If he did, he would have a much better chance of finding what he wanted so long and dearly to see for so many years. It would be so easy to just up and leave, to set his own path and find his own destination.

Or...

Would he stand with his friends? Stay by their side and be there when they fell? If he did, there was no certainty that they'd do the same for him. It felt as though they'd ignored him for the sake of others, and everything he did was simply a cry for attention.

Take his friends for granted? Or let his friends take him for granted?

The path Thomas had was fraught with peril and uncertainty.

He sighed.

There was a strange, but hypnotic purity in leaving it all behind and moving on unencumbered.

But...

Thomas had to stop thinking so narrowly. Moving on with all that held him back was life's challenge. Sure, it would most likely one day come to haunt him, like his mother's absence. Yet...He couldn't find it within himself to leave everyone behind.

He knew he'd struggle with this dilemma again, and didn't make a vow.

But for now...

...He'd stay.

But for how long he'd do so, was still unknown.

Even so, Thomas finally felt satisfied.

His place was right here, with everyone else.

And that was that.

* * *

**A/N: Done! I'm so sorry about all the sudden releases of chapters, but I'm trying to do the Christmas Chapter before the end of the year, so here's to hoping I can get things done and go back to normal!**

**I know, everyone's gonna be so pissed off at me for not letting Yin and Thomas finally be the mother and son they were meant to be, but hear me out, please? This ending was the best I could think of, one that doesn't change everything completely, but there's still some actual development that comes out of it. Please don't kill me, this will just make Yin and Thomas's reunion all the greater.**

**People are probably concerned that I'm being so stressful during the holidays, but that's because I have a passion for writing American Idiot, which will no doubt one day reach a conclusion, as much as I hate to say it.**

**However, nobody flipping cares!**

**You know why?**

**You guessed it: IT'S FINALLY OVER! The long-awaited profiles for none other than Knight Gunner Remake and the Full-Package Byakushiki are here, at long last! So sit back and read to your heart's content!**

**The Knight Gunner Remake was commissioned upon Elias's return to England. After a very long scolding, Elias had made a personal request to streamline the Knight Gunner for the coming future. The original Knight Gunner was hastily completed to allow Elias to go to the IS Academy as quickly as possible. The Remake version is far superior in both design and functionality.**

**The Knight Gunner Remake utilizes a brand-new Lancer Bit-one of the additions Elias requested after the Kyoto Incident-A Beam Sniper Rifle, a Tactical Helmet, Targeting Visor, and experimental Hyper-Sensor Visor Helmet-designed with a Templar Knight helmet shape, twin Thermal Blades,**

**The Remake still retains its 10 Optical Drones, 4 Beam Cannons, Barrier Shield but these is about the only things that aren't changed.**

**Further additions to the Knight Gunner Remake include the addition of the "Calvary Mode." When in Calvary Mode, the Knight Gunner's legs split apart to 4 legs, and the Unit's main movements are to use hover-jets. This not only boasts a higher agility in combat, but enough force to allow the Knight Gunner Remake to overpower enemy Units. This modification was requested by Elias, after witnessing Autumn's Arachnae Unit during the Kyoto Incident debriefing.**

**The Knight Gunner Remake still retains inspiration from the Earlcumber from Knight's and Magic, but now has references from the Hi Nu Gundam and the Gundam Kimaris. The Calvary Mode is an homage to the Gundam Kimaris's Trooper Mode.**

**Upon returning to the IS Academy, Elias's Knight Gunner Remake was tested in a mock-battle and found to show more promising results than before it received modifications in England.**

**Onto the Full-Package Byakushiki!**

**After finally returning to Kuramochi Machinery Development, Ichika was able to finally complete the Byakushiki's modification and production. However, an unforeseen error had occurred. Due to a glitch that seemingly couldn't be fixed, the Byakushiki's power-supply wasn't fixed, and the issue was brought back to its original form, leaving the Byakushiki back at square 1. Kagaribi used data collected from the Byakushiki and added extra weaponry.**

**The Full-Package Byakushiki now uses the experimental Type 3 Yukihira Nagata. The Type 3 Yukihira is the combination of both the Yukihira Nagata itself and a Laser-Edge Sheath designed to act as a broadsword, the Sheath and Yukihira are combined for a Buster-Sword Mode, serving as the Type 3's trademark. The Byakushiki also wields twin Light Blades, Twin Hip-Mounted Charged Particle Cannons, a Barrier Shield, and the Setsura.**

**Further modifications include a Tactical Helmet, and Combat Visor. One of the biggest modifications to the Byakushiki was the addition of the experimental new Stratos Armor.**

**The Stratos Armor was developed as the trademark for 3rd Generation Units, designed for use in any battlefield. The Stratos Armor is an added set of multi-purpose gear deployed and used by IS Units. The modifications are added as sorts of armor, hence their terminology.**

**The Byakushiki's Stratos Armor features a Charger designed to recharge the Byakushiki while deployed, allowing it to fight longer in combat. It also has a built-in Lancer Bit, Twin Beam Cannons, and Railgun.**

**The Byakushiki's Stratos Armor was inspired by The Gundam Barbatos 6th Form, from _Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans_.**

**Upon returning to the IS Academy, it appears that Ichika still prefers to use the Type 1 and 2 Yukihira Nagata overall, and is reluctant to use the newer weaponry out of habit. And so, the Byakushiki's Stratos Armor is rarely seen in use.**

**The Full-Package Byakushiki was inspired in principle by the Gundam Exia, from _Gundam 00_.**

**Hope you all enjoy! I've been working on these concepts for a long time, and I hope they are accepted by everyone! As much as I feel kinda rude for making them, it made sense to do so, as it'll open up opportunities for Elias and Ichika to grow in future chapters.**

**Happy holidays, wherever you are in the world!**

**Next Time: A gift for the girl with everything.**

**It's Christmas time! However, it comes as a shock to everyone to discover Cecelia's birthday is Christmas Eve! As everyone prepares for the long-awaited holiday to come around, Elias finds himself in a pinch! Not only is he panicked to find the right way to celebrate Cecelia's birthday with her, but...**

**...What can you get for the girl who has everything?**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	34. A gift for the Girl with everything

** I know this is monumentally late, and it's really not worth doing at this point. But, I'm gonna do it anyway, since it's totally so cute and perfect!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**It's Christmas time! Everyone's bustling about for Christmas gifts and preparing for the holidays to come! However, it comes as a shock to everyone but Elias that Cecelia's birthday is Christmas Eve! Even though he knows, Elias is still panicking.**

**But the reason Elias is panicking is because...**

**...What do you get for the girl, who already has everything?**

* * *

Everyone in the IS Academy was excited.

It was Christmas!

Laura was having a moment of freaking out as she once again was thrown headfirst into a situation she'd never seen before, and Charlotte was going her best to help Laura calm down. Tatenashi was horsing around in a risque Santa costume, only to be shut down by the boys once again. Chifuyu was looking down and beginning to rethink her life's decisions as she watched everything.

It was business as usual, but Christmas-themed.

After the incident involving World Purge, Elias returned to England to be scolded by his parents for stealing and destroying a Legionary Unit. However, after a long period of waiting for his parents to finish, Elias was able to request the Knight Gunner to be modified.

Upon returning to the IS Academy, he became far more aware around Cecelia.

Ichika returned to Kuramochi to finalize the Byakushiki's upgrades. After several hours-the rest of the day, to be exact-Ichika was able to fly the new Byakushiki back to the IS Academy as a means of acclimating to the modifications. However, Ichika was still back at square 1, as he wasn't able to break the habit of using the Yukihira Nagata alone in combat.

The boys weren't able to break in their new upgrades, as the holidays were fast approaching.

Ichika was currently wondering what to get for everyone.

Thomas was conflicted on his options for a gift to Nana.

Elias was sitting in a ball in the corner, and freaking out.

"What's got him?" Said Ichika.

"You mean you don't know?!" Cried Elias.

"Seriously, what's wrong?"

"Lady Cecelia's birthday is approaching!"

"Huh?!"

"Really?"

"Yes! Her birthday is Christmas Eve!"

Thomas and Ichika stopped and gawked.

"You mean Cecelia's Jesus?!" Said Thomas.

"Holy crap!" Cried Ichika, "If I knew, I'd be taking this more seriously!"

"Exactly!" Elias bawled, "That's the issue! What can a boy get for a girl who has everything?"

"That's...That's actually a tough dilemma." Said Ichika.

"You'd be better off asking my dad about that sort of thing." Said Thomas.

"Really? Why's that?"

"Well...He's gotten married, had me, I guess he did something right. But that didn't seem to stop mom from leaving..."

"Let's shelf that for now." Said Ichika.

Elias began to consider his options.

"Boys!" Called Maya, as she came over, "We'll need your help to set up Christmas decorations. Would be so kind as to help get started, pretty please~?"

"Sure!" Said Ichika.

"Mhm." Grunted Thomas.

"R-Right." Said Elias.

The boys began working on unpacking decorations and setting them up through the halls and their classrooms. As Elias thought further upon his predicament, the more his heart went aflutter. He'd become so much more self-conscious ever since he woke up from his fantasy.

He began to think back during his time in World Purge.

Watching Cecelia's ideal version of him do such adult things to her...

...Could he really aspire to become what Cecelia wanted him to be?

The question had been in Elias's mind ever since the incident had been resolved, and he'd yet to find a proper answer of his conundrum. Cecelia's ideal Elias was simply the opposite of the real one.

Whereas Cecelia's perfect Elias was bold and dominating in the ways of love, the real Elias would die of embarrassment if he ever tried to woo a woman. The difference was simply so polar between them.

If Elias wanted Cecelia to fall in love with him...

...Would he have to change?

Seeing as this was a situation only a male could understand, Elias concluded what he'd have to do.

After he was finished with preparing everything, he'd pay Thomas's father a visit.

The best advice always came from a veteran lover.

* * *

"So," Summarized Alex, "You came to me when you couldn't think of a good gift for this girlfriend of yours?"

"S-She's not my-"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." Assured Alex, "Just yankin' your chain."

It was the end of the school day, and Elias had Thomas call his dad to meet with Elias for a talk on his problem. Alex agreed, and had Elias come to his room at the IS Academy so they'd be able to talk about the issue in private.

"This is an important matter!" Whined Elias.

"Eh, c'mon," Said Alex, "You can't expect me to _not_ take advantage."

"I suppose," Said Elias, "But...Can you teach me to do this right?"

"Why not ask your own father?"

"He's all the way in England," Explained Elias, "And by the time he'd get here, it'd probably be already to late. Besides, I doubt father will honor a request of mine after that fiasco..."

"The blackout a week or two ago? Miss Orimura told me all about it. Something about you taking an IS Unit and breaking a wall?"

Elias shifted about, silently confirming Alex's summary.

"My father's a busy man," Recounted Elias, "He doesn't have time to waste on me or my trivial concerns."

"Not with that attitude. I'd say you should at least try to call your father over the matter, at least before you go consulting someone else's dad about the problem. That's just a bit sad, thinking that way."

"But-"

"No buts!" Affirmed Alex, "Call your dad, and see what happens. If it doesn't work out, then I'll help you out, kapeesh?"

"Yes sir..."

It wasn't that Elias didn't think ill of his own father. In fact, Elias wanted to be able to bond with his father as a son almost as much as he wanted to be in love with Cecelia. However, the reason Elias was so hesitant to consult his father was due to his parents' emotional reactions to Elias's reckless stunt with the Legionary.

Would they explode at him again if he tried contacting them so soon?

Elias thought back to his parents as he returned to England with the totaled Legionary in tow.

They were furious he already destroyed their new Mass-Production model, terrified as Elias almost died in the atmosphere, furious with Elias as he risked his life in such a manner, and most angry he stole the Legionary to begin with.

They were also very reserved on honoring Elias's request to upgrade the Knight Gunner. It was only due to Elias's position at the IS Academy they eventually complied with his requests to make modifications.

Peel off the band-aid, Elias.

Elias dialed up his father's direct phone number, and held his breath as he waited for his father to take his call.

Elias felt his heart skip a beat as his dad picked up.

"_Son?_" Oliver said.

"F-Father...I know you...You might be quite busy..."

"_Is there anything more you want? Out with it, boy!_" Oliver deadpanned.

Elias paused.

What should he say? How would his father react? Elias remembered how boldly he ignored his parents' cries while he flew into orbit with the Legionary, but that very boldness simply vanished as the situation calmed down.

"_Well? You called for a reason, yes?_" Pressed Oliver, "_Get on with it! You'll only waste both your time and mine if you simply stay silent._"

Elias took a deep breath.

"Father," He pushed out, "What gift do I get for a girl I've fallen for?"

Elias waited for Oliver's response.

After a few moments of a very awkward silence, Elias considered hanging up.

But Oliver's response quickly stopped him.

"_Son,_" Inquired Oliver, "_This wouldn't have anything to do with that Cecelia Alcott girl, would it?_"

"Yes Father..."

"_I see...Your honesty makes this easier._"

Elias flinched.

What did Oliver mean by that?

"_Well, Son,_" Explained Oliver, "_Your situation isn't at all unique. There are plenty of boys in the world struggling to be noticed by a wealthy girl...But for you, it's much more meaningful than money, isn't it? In fact, I daresay fortune is making this a lot harder on you, yes?_"

"Yes..."

"_Ah..._" Concluded Oliver, "_What gift can you buy for the girl who virtually has everything? That's a dilemma indeed._"

"Would you...Teach me, Father?"

Oliver made another long pause.

Elias once again felt the urge to simply hand up the call, fearing that he was slowly making his father angry once more. Oliver was busy dealing with the mess Elias made with his little death-defying stunt in orbit...

...It just wasn't right to keep interrupting his father's work.

"_Sorry for taking such long intermissions,_" Oliver spoke into the phone, "_I was doing my best to open up enough time to talk. Part of that task was to find someplace private for this discussion._"

"What?"

"_Is there something wrong, Son?_"

"You mean you're not mad with me? For the entire incident with your IS Unit?"

"_Angry? I was at first, furious even. After I finally calmed down, some of the technicians trying to fix up the mess came to me with rather promising news. The Legionary's data was still viable! Can you believe it? On top of that, I've gotten a few new ideas for saving this troubled company..._"

"What?!"

"_I was mad, but your recklessness has paid off, in a way._"

Elias sighed with relief.

"Now, Son." Said Oliver, "What to do for the perfect gift for a wealthy girl..."

"Yes, Father. What can I get for Cecelia so that she might...Notice me."

"_Ah..._" Oliver recounted, "_I was in the same sort of problem at your age. And I'll tell you now Son, choosing the right gift for a girl you love isn't something that can be properly taught. Fret not though, I'll share my experiences with you on the matter to help shed light. You must ask yourself, just what sort of way do you want Cecelia to see you? That is the most defining factor in a gift._"

"I..." Elias declared, "I want Cecelia to see me as a man, one caring and bold, but still kind and fair. But...I feel as though me as I am right now just isn't enough to make that happen...What sort of gifts did you get for Mother?"

"_Well,_" Recounted Oliver, "_For your Mother...I recall that I'd gotten her a teddy bear while we were younger, around your age, in fact. Young girls like more adorable things, like stuffed animals and the like. However...An adult woman is far more demanding, and would prefer things like jewelry. If you wish Cecelia to see you as a man, you'd be best in gifting her with jewelry-the higher the rarity the better, of course-but not so high that it'd take everything you have to get it. But, if you want to be seen as a boyfriend, you're better off with a toy or trinket for now, nothing too serious just yet._"

"I see...Thank yo-?!"

"_Hold on, I'm on the phone!_" Oliver cried, "_I'm sorry Son, but it seems our time is up now._"

"Might I just ask one last question?"

"_Be swift._"

"You seem much more attentive to me so suddenly," Inquired Elias, "What's happened? You used to be solely focused upon the company."

"_Ah...You were bound to ask sometime,_" Said Oliver, "_After watching you nearly kill yourself, I've...Begun to reflect on my past failure as a neglectful father, and I wish to try and be a better one going forward in life. Farewell, Son._"

Oliver hung up, and Elias finally understood.

His father had become so much more to Elias ever since World Purge. Elias risking his life as he piloted the Legionary made Oliver realize he'd taken his son for granted, and he nearly paid the price. It'd make sense for a father who cared for his children to try and improve on such a failure.

But that wouldn't give Elias the right to abuse the situation childishly, and he knew it.

As much as he wanted to call a second time, Elias didn't want to overstep his new bounds.

But now that he'd received some wisdom on his question...

...He realized he still had to find an answer to it.

But there was one problem he needed to solve before he made his decision.

How did he want Cecelia to perceive him?

* * *

_December 24._

Elias paced back and forth in his room on the matter, pausing only if someone knocked upon his door.

He'd yet to find an answer to his question.

This one question wasn't one to be taken lightly, nor was there a set answer that could be determined as right or wrong. He couldn't get help, nor study this question. This was something he had to answer himself.

And that's where Elias was stuck.

It felt like a paradox, with one question being the answer to another but the question being the answer.

Eventually, Elias left his room to consult with the other boys to see what he could learn from their perspective. Although he alone was to answer his question, he could find a pattern to lead him to the answer.

"Well," Said Ichika, "The thing about this time of year is about spirit."

"Spirit?" Inquired Elias.

"Yeah!" Explained Ichika, "It's not the gift you give someone, but the meaning behind it!"

"How so?"

"Hm..." Ichika did his best to go into detail, "Think of it this way: The gift you get for someone is the method, and Christmas is the excuse. And what happens when everyone exchanges gifts is like sharing how they feel about someone."

"Ah...I see..."

"But don't overthink it though," Cautioned Ichika, "Sure, it's always nice to get something you like for Christmas, but the whole meaning of the gift is how much effort you put into it for whoever the gift is for. It doesn't have to be something like a toy or whatnot, it can also be something they can use functionally, or even treats like candy and drinks. It doesn't have to be something long-term."

"That makes a great deal of sense...But...It's not entirely part of the problem..."

"Huh?"

"Oh...Never mind, I best be off!"

Elias jogged off, leaving Ichika confused.

Elias didn't want to be rude...

...But he really didn't think that romantic advice from Ichika was sound in the slightest.

Perhaps he'd get better wisdom if he consulted Thomas.

"Thomas?"

"Hm?"

"Um...What do..."

"Shoot."

"What do I get for...A...A girl..."

"'A girl you like-like,' That's what you're saying?"

Elias blushed, embarrassed, and nodded quickly.

"Ah..." Thomas chuckled, his face putting on a sinister smile.

Elias felt him heart stop.

Thomas was going to torment him with this new discovery.

Thomas laughed, and rested his hand on Elias's shoulder.

"Chill," He chuckled, "I'm horsin' around. Anyway...I can't say I'm fluent with...All that stuff...Actually in that same rut myself."

Elias perked up.

"Really?"

"Yeah...Don't tell Nana. But...Don't worry! I think I got a perfect solution!"

"Do tell! I need examples! Something to model after!"

"Well...Don't go blabbing...But I was gonna get Nana a teddy bear. She likes fluffy stuff she can hug like that, and I felt it'd get me on better terms in...Love."

"I see..."

"So," Thomas broke the tension, "Cecelia's gonna be lucky."

"H-How'd you know?!"

"You're about as subtle as a nuke."

"Oh...Dear..."

"Just take a chill dude," Assured Thomas, "From what I've found, it's more about how much time you put into picking the gift. Sometimes people couldn't give a crap about the gift. As long as it's from the heart, you'll fall in love yet."

"...Thank you."

"Thank everyone by actually getting the girl," Thomas said, walking off, "I mean, it's just so frustrating watching it all!"

Elias grinned.

"Right back at you, chum!"

Thomas laughed as he strolled off, leaving Elias to his own devices.

Elias sighed.

He needed to get to the mainland.

* * *

Cecelia was moving ever so cautiously as she tagged along with the girls on a shopping trip at the mainland.

She'd always look around herself, making sure to round each corner by leaning and spying whatever was on the other side. She wore shades, and a winter coat and hat as she tried to remain incognito, but made herself even more easy to spot.

"What's with her?" Said Lingyin, pointing to Cecelia.

"Oh," Answered Charlotte, "She's on edge, since she doesn't want to be seen by Elias while we're shopping for Christmas presents~! Sounds to me like it's become less like Christmas and more like Valentine's~!"

"Th-That's simply not true!" Denied Cecelia, blushing.

Cecelia simply wasn't able to get Elias out of her mind since World Purge. The real Elias had come in and seen her at her most vulnerable, watching her ideal Elias play with her body as though she were some kind of doll.

As much as she wanted to believe otherwise, Elias wouldn't forget what he'd seen anytime soon.

In her deepest privacy, Cecelia longed for Elias to ravish her body like in her ideal fantasy. But, just as deep down, Cecelia longed for the Elias that she had, as he was neither cruel nor truly a coward. As much as he made himself out to be one, his actions proved otherwise.

But there was one problem Cecelia had.

Sure, Christmas Eve was her birthday, but there was still Christmas...

...And what could she get for the boy who charmed her?

Cecelia's heart beat faster as she stopped in place and dreamed of her and Elias together.

Lingyin chuckled.

"She's hopeless-" Lingyin froze as Nana walked past her.

Neither of them had talked ever since World Purge. It was obvious Nana was still pissed at Lingyin, and would most likely try to claw out the girl's face at the drop of a dime. And going on a shopping trip away from the IS Academy opened up all kinds of opportunities for Nana to do just that and leave no witnesses.

They had a long way to go if there were to be ready to talk to each other again.

Laura was currently about to have yet another outburst as the mall the girls were in was as decorated as the IS Academy. She wasn't very used to holidays, considering her experience with Halloween, and felt very unnerved by all the sudden changes to her normal routine. Charlotte was on standby in case Laura freaked out over a mall Santa or anything else.

Suddenly, Cecelia lunged and dove behind a bench nearby, startling everyone.

Sure enough, Elias was coming up to them nearby.

"_Bonjour_, Elias!" Called Charlotte.

"Good day to you," Said Elias, "Is...Cecelia around?"

Elias had walked right past the bench Cecelia cowered behind, allowing her to signal Charlotte behind Elias's back in the hopes Charlotte wasn't going to mess with her.

Charlotte gave Cecelia a mischievous smug look over Elias's shoulder, confusing him.

"Sadly, no, she's been a little busy..." Giggled Charlotte.

To Elias, Charlotte seemed innocuous in laughing.

In reality, it was her way of torturing Cecelia.

"Why?" Inquired Charlotte, "Could you be looking to spend some time with her?"

"N-Not quite..."

"Oh?"

"I...I need to know..." Elias leaned to whisper, "Is there anything Cecelia would like?"

Charlotte's smug grin got even more smug.

"Sorry," Apologized Charlotte, "I'm not sure what Cecelia would like as a present from you, good luck though! It's the thought that counts!"

"Thank you, good day!"

Charlotte waved Elias off as he jogged elsewhere.

Cecelia came out from behind the bench to glare at Charlotte.

"What?" Chuckled Charlotte, "I got him off your back, no?"

"Oh?" Grinned Cecelia, "And just what sort of gift are you getting Ichika? I've meant to ask..."

Cecelia's sharp tongue had turned the tables on Charlotte.

Charlotte was silent and she pouted in defeat.

Cecelia quickly turned her thoughts inward as she went back to thinking of a gift for 'd been separated for so long, and due to their lack of interaction while they attended the same school made Cecelia nervous.

She had no idea what Elias's interests were!

The girls continued their trip, with Lingyin and Nana avoiding each other, Charlotte keeping a hand on Laura at all times, Houki doing her own thing, and Cecelia going through a schoolgirl crush on Elias.

Not much had changed.

* * *

Elias went about the mall, frenzied.

He still hadn't come up with an answer to his question, nor had he come up with a gift for Cecelia.

He'd spent almost all day running about with no real idea in mind.

Not very smart, seeing as it had gotten him nowhere fast. The irony of that was he'd been almost all over the mall and still found nothing he deemed worthy of being Cecelia's present.

Nothing was coming to mind...

Had he really overthought it?

What if he wasn't even good enough for Cecelia.

The image of Cecelia's ideal Elias groping her in the bathtub once again came to Elias's mind. He couldn't but freeze a little in that moment. Why was that? Why did he hesitate like so?

Was he...Envious?

Envious of Cecelia's dreamy Elias being better than the real one?

As much as Elias tried to imagine he, himself doing such forceful things to any woman, he simply couldn't. He just didn't have to heart to be so arrogant and confident in dominating anyone, man or woman.

Anyone worth their salt could tell from a mile away that Elias was such a wet noodle, he couldn't dry out and be bold as he wanted to be. He wasn't like Thomas, who simply acted without thinking. He wasn't like Ichika, who always found a solution around the problem.

He was Elias, a victim that never got justice and couldn't even be brave enough to take something he really wanted.

He could never hope to be either of his peers.

But, thinking on the subject...

Perhaps that's because trying to be like either Thomas or Ichika wasn't possible, or even very mature. Sure, both boys were incredible in many aspects, but they were both especially flawed as they were.

As much as he looked up to both Ichika and Thomas for their strengths, it was both strengths and flaws that made a person who they were.

But...That brought Elias back to the one issue he could never solve.

How did he want Cecelia to think of him?

As a bold, dominating master who did as he pleased, whenever? Or a nervous, young boy untutored in the ways of love?

Such a question had to be answered soon.

Elias heard the mall's intercom ring.

"_Attention all shoppers, please prepare to make your final purchases._"

Elias cried as he panicked.

He was running down to the wire!

But he hadn't come up with an idea at all! What would he do? This was a disaster!

Elias simply couldn't choose!

He'd gotten so many tips and words of wisdom, but it wouldn't count for anything if he couldn't make a decision!

It was Christmas Eve as well! He'd wasted too many days on this subject!

He'd narrowed his options to either jewelry, or a teddy bear.

But he still couldn't think of which was best for Cecelia.

Decisions! Decisions! He was just too incapable of making a critical one like this!

But...

...What if he didn't have to?

The gears in Elias's brain began to turn. What if he didn't have to choose between them? Nobody ever said he could only get one gift, so why limit his options? It was ingenious! If he couldn't choose between two things, then choose both!

An idea so insane it just might work!

Elias rushed from one store to purchase the fluffiest teddy bear money could buy.

He then raced over to a jewelry store.

What he found was even more decisions to make.

In his hand was a shopping bag with a teddy bear, and all around him was awe-inspiring jewelry, glistening and sparkling in the light of the store. Diamonds, pearls, and all manner of expertly-crafted trinkets all laid bare for Elias to judge.

Elias began to sweat.

He may have made one decision, but now he needed another!

"_Attention all shoppers,_" Said the intercom, "_Please make your final purchases, and Happy Holidays._"

Elias frantically looked about the store's displays in desperate search of something he could picture Cecelia wearing.

"Sir?" Called one of the store clerks, "It's closing time, make a purchase or go home."

"In a moment!"

In his frivolous struggle, Elias noticed something.

"Ah!" He declared, "Perfect!"

* * *

_That night...Christmas Eve._

"Hey," Said Ichika, "Has anyone seen Elias?"

Everyone he asked answered with "No."

Cecelia began to look anxious.

After a bit of time, she eventually decided on a gift for Elias, but she was quite uncertain that she had gotten a gift he wanted. Elias didn't make any public wish-lists, and so Cecelia simply had no idea of what Elias's tastes were.

She could only have hope that she'd gotten the right gift on the off-chance.

Currently, everyone was exchanging gifts to others.

But Elias was nowhere to be seen.

That is, until...

Elias burst through the doors, bags in his hands, and out of breath.

"Elias?!" Cried Cecelia, her heart skipping a beat.

"Hey, there he is!" Said Thomas.

"Holy cow! You look spent!"

"I..." Elias gasped, "I'm quite alright, thank you."

Elias stood up and brushed himself.

_"Good thing I wrapped them before I came..."_ He thought to himself.

"Oh my!" Cried Cecelia, "You're drenched in sweat, even though it's chilly outside! You must have a fever!"

"I assure you, milady," Affirmed Elias, "I'm quite fine."

Cecelia sighed.

"Merry Christmas, Elias." She smiled.

"Oh! On that note," Said Elias, "May I...Talk to you in private?"

"Eh?!" Cecelia blushed.

What would Elias do to her while they were alone?

"O...Of course."

Elias ushered Cecelia to a quiet area where no-one was in sight.

"I..." Elias breathed, "Merry Christmas."

"M-Merry Christmas to you too."

"Well...Um...I...I have a gift for you." Elias stammered.

"Y-You do?! Really?! Oh-I mean...Thank you. I...I have one as well."

"You mean it?! I-um...Thanks."

The pair blushed feverishly, the atmosphere around them completely awkward.

Elias jolted, and shut his eyes as he held out a gift box for Cecelia.

"This is for you!"

Cecelia took the gift box, ready to die of nerves at any moment.

She shut her eyes, and threw open the lid.

What had Elias gotten for her? Would her gift be able to compare?

She didn't want to know, but at the same time...

...Curiosity killed the cat.

Cecelia opened one eye, and looked inside.

What she found was a rather lovely-looking teddy bear...

...And a necklace.

Cecelia's previous anxiety had shrank away as she pulled out the items. Elias opened one eye to see what Cecelia's reaction would be. Did he get the right gift? Was it something she liked?

Cecelia's blush went from deep red to light pink.

The teddy bear was easy for her to understand. It was as big as her torso, soft, fluffy, and quite warm. But Elias's other gift was another story. Also inside the gift box was none other than a necklace.

Cecelia set down the teddy bear and gift box to study the necklace.

It was a rather simple necklace, but at the center was a sapphire, shaped like a tear.

A Blue Tear.

Cecelia couldn't help but smile.

"It's beautiful."

Elias's eyes shot open.

"Really?! You mean it?!"

"I do." Cecelia said, putting the necklace around her neck.

"Milady, I am so glad that you-"

"Please, stop."

"Come again?"

"Stop that. Calling me 'lady.' It feels as though you're holding yourself lower then me. As much as it's an affectionate name, I do understand that, I feel like you're demeaning yourself so badly. I know it'll take time to adjust, but..."

She looked him in the eyes.

"...Would you be okay with simply calling me 'Cecelia?'"

Elias was at a loss for words.

He was at a loss for everything.

"Oh! That's right!" Said Cecelia, "I have a present for you, too! Merry Christmas!"

Cecelia handed Elias a gift box.

The girl's breathing picked up a little.

Would her gift be able to compare?

Elias opened the box...

...To find a lovely scarf inside.

Elias 's face lit up as he pulled out the scarf.

It was simple white scarf, but quite long and very soft and warm.

"I..."

Cecelia held her breath.

"I love it."

Cecelia's heart skipped a beat yet again as she heard Elias say it.

Elias wrapped the scarf around his neck, and caressed to soft, pillow-like fabric.

"I thought it would look wonderful on you," Admitted Cecelia, "And looking at you really wearing it, I see that I was right."

The pair sat in silence, taking the time to grow accustomed to their gifts. Something had come over the two, as they came together for a loving, tender embrace. Elias could feel the necklace around Cecelia, and Cecelia rubbed her cheek against Elias's scarf.

Suddenly, they heard the click of a camera.

They whipped around to find Thomas and Ichika with puffed cheeks and a phone aimed right at them. Thomas held the phone and was tapping away, taking photos of the couple for whatever purpose.

Both boys were ready to burst out with laughter.

"This..." Said Thomas, "This is beautiful."

"Now kiss!" Said Ichika.

"I-Ichika!" Cried Cecelia, "That's not appropriate!"

"Delete that! I beg you!"

Elias let go of Cecelia and began to chase after Thomas.

"Delete it!"

"NEVER! This is going into history!" Thomas laughed like a madman.

Ichika ran after the two, leaving Cecelia to herself.

She sighed.

She picked up the teddy bear once more, and hugged it tightly.

It was quite lovely indeed.

This Elias...The one who'd think of her, who was so tender and kind, to everyone. The boyish young man who acted his age, and was confident enough to see himself as worthy of Cecelia's affections.

That...That was the Elias she fell in love with.

* * *

**A/N: Done! This one is monumentally late, but I feel very disappointed in myself for being so late. But yet again, this is one of those "balance Thomas out due to how much I keep focusing on him" chapters.**

**Plus, it was the perfect time to deepen Cecelia and Elias's relationship.**

**Even though it's too late to say it,**

**Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year to you all, wherever you are in the world.**

**Things have gotten serious, dark, and it's always nice to be allowed to make a chapter with a happy ending, rather than a bittersweet one. ****Ichika, Thomas, and Elias's journey, despite having come so far already, is far from over.**

**Friends will be made, and heroes will be forged.**

**Happy Holidays, dear reader.**

**Next Time: Look both ways**

**It's New Year's Eve! Everyone's preparing to count down the end of the current year, and the start of the next! But the boys are stuck trying to find some way to commemorate their union.**

**And so, they look back, in order to face forward.**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	35. The progress they make

**This was gonna be the last chapter in 2019! I've done this story for almost half a year, and it's still going! I do't know how to feel about that. But one thing I wish I could do better was do things ON TIME. Either way, hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**It's the last day of the year! Everyone celebrates as they prepare to count down the final seconds of the year. But for Ichika, Thomas, and Elias, the boys come together to think of some way to commemorate their unspoken union with each other.**

**With their bonds tested through good and bad, how will the boys end the year?**

* * *

"Awright!" Cheered Maya.

Everyone in the IS Academy was busy running about, preparing things to celebrate the end of their current year, and the coming of the new year. Since it was winter break, staff and students had the chance to run to the mainland and purchase items for celebration.

All that is, save Ichika, Thomas, and Elias.

The three boys had been through a great deal over the course of the year.

Since it was New Year's, the boys wanted to do something to commemorate their union in the IS Academy.

But one problem remained.

What was the best way to do that?

That was the question the boys were trying to answer.

They'd come so far, but still has so much farther to go.

And yet...

"Thomas!" Shouted Ichika, "Get out of bed already!"

Thomas grumbled as he rolled away from Ichika.

"It's _way_ past time to get up! You're missing breakfast!"

Thomas began to mutter something too low for Ichika to hear.

"If you don't get up now," Ichika declared, "I'll get Chifuyu-Nee to get you out of bed!"

Thomas fell out of bed and stood up straight.

Ichika chuckled as Thomas gave him a glare. The boy yawned as he slowly got out of bed. He was either still groggy, or grouchy for some reason he didn't feel comfortable in sharing again.

"C'mon!" Said Ichika, "We need to get ready for New Year's."

"Mm." Grunted Thomas as he went to get dressed.

The boys had barely made it in time for breakfast.

What they found was all their friends ogling as they watched Elias and Cecelia fail miserably at getting around their anxiety with each other. With their every move around each other, Elias and Cecelia found themselves blushing and fumbling their every word.

"Lady-I mean, C-Cecelia," Stuttered Elias, "Would you m-mind to sit next to each other?"

"Y-Yes," Cecelia answered, "Wait, I-I mean, yes I would, not-Oh dear..."

Charlotte smiled happily as she watched the pair.

"They're so cute together~!" She cooed, "I wish Ichika and I could be as close..."

This earned her glares from Houki and Lingyin.

Thomas began to drink a milk carton from a straw, completely ignoring the situation. Ichika completely forgot the situation and simply gave everyone a warm greeting with his usual behavior.

"Welp!" Said Ichika, "It's the day of New Year's Eve! Anyone have any ideas for celebration?"

"No," Stuttered Kanzashi, "Not particularly..."

"Well," Said Houki, "I don't really have any plans...Looks like I'll just have to spend New Year's Eve with you, Ichika."

"Hey!" Snapped Lingyin, "You aren't gonna be doing anything without me!"

Houki and Lingyin locked eyes.

_"Stay out of my way..."_ Thought Houki.

_"Don't even!"_ Thought Lingyin.

"Ichika," Said Laura, "I suppose ve should celebrate zhe New Year vith an anniversary, _jah_?"

"I'm not your freaking bride!" Ichika whined.

Thomas grunted and shrugged, not listening to anyone.

"Morning everyone!" Cheered Nana.

Lingyin and Nana made eye contact with each other for a mere moment, and promptly looked away from each other.

"I know!" Said Ichika, "We should all try going to the arcade together!"

Thomas grunted and shrugged.

Everyone else began to converse over Ichika's proposition.

It wasn't long before they were all bound for the mainland, watching Elias and Cecelia hopelessly fail at flirting with each other the whole train ride.

They weren't bored at all.

* * *

The group marveled as they reached the mall at the mainland.

Although, they wouldn't have all day to find something to have fun with, as it was New Year's Eve. Stores would close quite early on that day, and they wouldn't be open at all tomorrow, as everyone would still be rocked from New Year's.

But they had the entire day to mess around.

Currently, Ichika was overseeing Houki, Laura, Charlotte, and Lingyin at a crane game at the arcade. Thomas and Nana were teaming up at a shooting game, which ended up turning into a competition to get the highest rank. Elias and Cecelia were simply standing next to each other as they did their best to try and interact.

"My turn!" Cheered Lingyin, quickly going up to the crane game controls, and pulling Ichika over to right next to her.

The other girls glared down her back as Lingyin did her best to focus on the crane game.

"Almost...Got it..." Lingyin muttered.

She and Ichika held their breath as Lingyin angled the crane down to the decimal.

"There!"

Lingyin slammed down the button.

The crane dropped...

...And the claw hit its mark.

The crane closed around a stuffed animal, and lifted Lingyin's prize out of the heap.

It was none other than a big, fluffy cat.

But they weren't out of the woods yet.

They still had to get the cat out of the machine.

The crane jerked, shaking the claw and cat violently as it moved to the drop off. Everyone, despite being cross with Lingyin, couldn't help but hold their breath as the crane shook the cat back and forth, upping the suspense.

The cat began to slip a little.

"Ooh..." Ichika grunted.

The cat shook a bit further out of the claw.

Lingyin inhaled sharply.

It was barely hanging by threads at that point, and everyone watched too eagerly to think of anything else.

The claw stopped right over the deposit, and snapped open.

The cat fell in, and everyone sighed with relief.

Lingyin reached in and picked up the cat, realizing it was as big as her head.

"Now," Said Laura, "It ish _my_ turn."

Laura grabbed the controls, and began the crane game.

"How do I play zhis game?"

She didn't know what she wanted to grab with the crane, and quickly found herself in trouble. What would she want? What did she find appealing to take? Laura's heart began to race as she thought deeper and deeper needlessly.

Charlotte rested a hand on Laura's shoulder, startling and reassuring the smaller girl.

"You can do this." Charlotte looked into the arcade machine, and pointed, "Look! Try going for that, right there!"

Laura got a glimpse of what Charlotte pointed to, and nodded.

Laura grasped the controls once again, and began to move the crane.

Everyone stared intently as Laura angled the crane over her prize.

"Now!"

Laura slammed the button, and the claw dropped...

...Coming back up with none other than a stuffed bunny.

The bunny had a white fur belly, and black fur everywhere else.

"That's adorable!" Said Ichika.

The bunny slipped out of the claw and fell back into the pile of stuffed animals, much to everyone's shock.

Laura held a blank face.

"I vill go. AGAIN!"

Ichika put in another set of coins, and Laura tried again.

She failed two more times.

"VHY?!" Laura screamed in anger.

"Well," Ichika explained, "These types of games are rigged this way, so the players would spend more money and generate more revenue...Man, this might eat through my wallet..."

Laura's face quivered a little, as though she was holding back a childish tantrum.

"But we can't give up!" Ichika quickly said, pulling out a coin pouch.

He then went up to the machine.

"Allow me."

Laura stepped aside.

She'd never seen Ichika so needlessly determined, almost as though he was a raging fire.

Ichika put in more coins, and made an attempt to get the bunny.

The bunny fell out of the claw again.

"Dang!"

The second time, Ichika completely missed the bunny.

"I can do this..."

Ichika tried again and again.

Faster and faster, he was running out of coins he could use.

But it that bunny...It was simply impossible! How could this one, singular bunny be giving everyone so much hassle?! It should've been in Laura's arms by now, not falling back into the pile over and over!

There were only enough coins left for one last try.

Ichika closed his eyes, and breathed.

"I didn't wanna do this..." He said.

The girls all held their breath.

"...But we've got no other choice!"

Suddenly, Ichika deployed the Byakushiki's headgear.

After World Purge, Ichika had gotten modifications to the Byakushiki, turning it into the Full-Package Byakushiki. One of these was a Combat Visor, which provided support with Ichika in combat. Specifically, the Combat Visor excelled with targeting, and guidance.

A snow-white Combat Visor snapped shut over Ichika's face.

"I've got you now!"

Ichika grabbed the controls, locking the Visor onto the bunny.

The crane moved, and once more, snatched the bunny. The claw came up, and everyone watched as the claw shook back and forth with the bunny in-hand. Never before had something so trivial become so intense before the girls.

The bunny fell into the deposit, and Ichika picked up the stuffed animal, giving it to Laura.

He was breathing heavily, as though he'd underwent an exhausting physical activity.

Laura blushed, and gave the bunny a tight hug in joy.

"Alright," Said Ichika, "Who's next?"

It appeared that Ichika had forgotten he'd used up all of his coins.

The boy reached into his pocket to discover that his wallet was completely drained of coins. Ichika blushed in embarrassment as he knew the girls wouldn't be happy with him wasting so much effort for Laura.

"W-Well...I..." Ichika chuckled.

The girls all began to look jealous of Lingyin and Laura, and glared Ichika down.

Ichika knew the beat-down would commence if he didn't think of something.

"Think fast!"

Ichika narrowly caught a wallet flying at his head. Ichika flinched, realizing it was Thomas's wallet.

"You owe me!" Thomas called without turning away from the arcade machine.

"Thanks!"

Not very long after, Charlotte had received a stuffed bear, and Houki won a stuffed unicorn. And so, the 4 girls found themselves quite happy and satisfied with Ichika's gifts to them.

The group moved on, and Elias and Cecelia went up to the crane game.

"Would you...Like to?" Said Elias, blushing.

"Y-Yes," Cecelia stuttered, "Yes I would."

Elias and Cecelia tried their luck.

Cecelia finally felt bold enough to try and flirt with Elias a little.

"T-Then again," Cecelia fumbled her words, "The teddy bear you gave to me on m-my birthday is simply...Without compare!"

"Ah..." Said Elias, "I-I see."

"There's nothing wrong that!" Cecelia cried, thinking Elias was disappointed in some way.

"Um..."

"Ah..."

Both Cecelia and Elias were hopelessly in love, and unable to get anything done around each other. They'd gone too far with each other, too quickly, and unable to cope their new circumstances.

Thankfully, Thomas wasn't snapping away with photos this time.

Elias sighed.

This new situation was some sort of an improvement, at least.

"ICHIKA!" Cried Thomas, gawking down an aisle in the arcade.

"What?! What's wrong?!" Ichika called, running over.

Ichika stopped in his tracks, and gawked alongside Thomas.

"Guys?" Said Nana, walking over, "What's going on-OH MY GOD!"

Nana fell in with Thomas and Ichika as they stared in shock and awe.

Lingyin came as well, and was enthralled alongside the other 3.

It was then that everyone else came over, thoroughly intrigued by what had ensnared the 4 so easily. However, they'd reached the group, rounded the corner, and were simply further befuddled.

"I...Don't get it." Said Elias.

"Is that one of those quaint little jet-piloting arcade games?" Inquired Cecelia.

"Nope." Said Ichika, "This...This is so much better."

The group was staring at none other than two capsule-like arcade games.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day..." Thomas's voice trembled, as though he was about to cry.

"So...Vhat are zhey?" Inquired Laura.

"These're machines for _Gundam Kizuna_." Explained Nana, "They're called pods, like cockpits of a Mobile Suit in _Gundam_. I heard it makes you feel like you're actually in a Mobile Suit...Oh! I've long-awaited the day I could lay my eyeballs on such ART!"

"Art?!" Cried Laura, Elias, Cecelia, Houki, and Charlotte.

"Ichika?" Thomas said.

"Thomas." Ichika replied.

The boys clapped hands, and marched over to the arcade machines.

"In the end..." Thomas started.

"...It has to be this way." Finished Ichika.

The boys raced into the game pods, swiped smart cards, inserted money, and prepared to play.

Everyone else was stuck watching the boys' activity from outside the capsules.

* * *

Thomas quickly joined the Earth Federation, selecting a Ground-Type Gundam.

Ichika joined the Principality of Zeon, choosing a Gelgoog.

The boys eased their nerves as the timer to their match started.

_"So," Inquired Elias, "How exactly does this all work?"_

_"In Gundam Kizuna," Explained Lingyin, "Players go head-to-head as MS Pilots, and I think Ichika and Tommy both played this game sometime before, which explains why Thomas has a Ground-Type."_

_"Ground-Type?" Inquired Laura._

_"Ground-Type Gundams can't fly, unlike many Mobile Suits," Added Nana, "However, I'm actually interested why Thomas went with a Ground-Type over anything else he's unlocked in the game."_

_"Interesting..." Said Cecelia, "Is the any other differences?"_

_"Plenty," Said Nana, "The Gelgoog has a Beam Rifle, and a Beam Naginata, and a shield. However, the Ground-Type Gundam has a bigger arsenal, including a Rocket Launcher, Beam Saber, Machine Guns, and Beam Rifle._

3...

Ichika exhaled.

2...

Thomas put both hands on the controls.

1...

"Ichika, _ikimasu_!"

"Thomas, _ikimasu_!"

Thomas and Ichika had entered Jubaro (Jungle Area), and prepared to engage each other.

Ichika skated across the ground, the Gelgoog's Beam Naginata in-hand.

The Jubaro Jungle Area was thick with trees and plants, making it very easy for one to hide if they wanted to. Part of the reason Thomas agreed to use this map was to help even out his inability to fly.

It was only a matter of time.

Ichika was smiling, undaunted by the environment. Sure, Thomas may have held an advantage, but he was still out of his league. Gelgoog Mobile Suits came armed with less weaponry than a Ground-Type. However, Ichika's Gelgoog had a height and melee advantage over a Ground-Type Gundam.

However, Thomas's Ground-Type held a devastating arsenal advantage, armed with far more weapons than a Gelgoog. If Ichika didn't take him seriously, Thomas would utterly crush Ichika without even having to move.

Suddenly, Thomas's Gundam launched out of the jungle, and swung his Beam Saber at Ichika.

Ichika brought up his Shield to narrowly block the oncoming attack.

"Gotcha!" Said Thomas.

"Really?" Said Ichika, brushing off the Beam Saber and pulling out the Beam Naginata.

The boys traded blows, connecting beams with flashes of light each time. Eventually, Ichika twirled the Beam Naginata as he pulled back. Thomas quickly gave chase, rushing in once more to run Ichika's Gelgoog through with the Beam Saber.

Suddenly, the Gelgoog's hand began to spin, and in moments, the Beam Naginata had become a deadly disc.

The sudden move caught Thomas off-guard, and the Beam Saber went right into the Beam Naginata's path, causing the Beam Saber to fly out of the Ground-Type Gundam's hand and deactivate.

Ichika swung the Beam Naginata at Thomas, aiming to chop his head off.

Thomas quickly ignited the Ground-Type Gundam's thrusters, regaining balance before Ichika could cut him down.

_"I thought you said it was a Ground-Type Gungam!" Cried Elias, thoroughly confused._

_"It's 'Gundam,'" Corrected Lingyin, "And even though the Ground-Type Gundam can't actually fly, it still has thrusters for mobility."_

_"Ah...I see..." Observed Cecelia, "So, is the reason it can't fly is because of that heavy backpack?"_

_"Correct!" Said Nana, "And, since the Gelgoog's a non-Gundam MS, Ichika's at an even bigger disadvantage due to stats."_

_"What sets a Gundam apart from the rest? Is it made of better materials?"_

_"It's not just what a Gundam's made of," Chuckled Lingyin, "It's the pilot that drives it."_

Thomas quickly got out of Ichika's melee range, and pulled out the Ground-Type Gundam's Machine Gun, firing away at Ichika's Gelgoog as he retreated further and further back to think of a new strategy.

"You're not getting away now!" Ichika declared, rushing at Thomas with his Beam Naginata.

Thomas quickly countered with the Gundam's Shield, brushing away each swing Ichika made.

Suddenly, Thomas brushed a downward slash, and spun around the Gelgoog as it sunk the Beam Naginata into the ground.

"Huh?! He got behind me?!" Ichika grunted.

Thomas suddenly pulled out the Gundam's Hyper Bazooka, and sent the Gelgoog to the jungle floor with a single shot.

The Gelgoog crashed, and was still for a few moments.

_"He's got the opening!" Said Elias, "Why won't Thomas take it?"_

_"It's game rules, dude," Lingyin explained, "When an MS is knocked down in Gundam: Kinzuna, it gets up automatically, and grants invincibility for a few seconds to let the player rejoin the fight."_

_"I see..."_

Thomas had used the time the Gelgoog had been knocked down to start running. He needed a new strategy if he was going to take Ichika down, and the fact that Ichika could fly was the biggest problem.

Ichika quickly pursued Thomas, skating across the ground with the Gelgoog's thrusters. Thomas quickly sped up, igniting the Gundam's thrusters as he ran. The boys each only had so much fuel before their Mobile Suits' thrusters overheated and went into cooldown. Since Ichika had used his thrusters earlier than Thomas, he'd be put into cooldown sooner.

However, he'd also be the first one to move after cooldown.

Both of the boys knew this.

Suddenly, Thomas spun around.

Ichika gasped.

As of right then, Ichika was staring down the barrel of the Ground-Type Gundam's Missile Launcher.

"OH SHI-!"

The Gelgoog tanked a barrage of three missiles to the face, and was once again knocked down.

Thomas grinned, taking a vital pause to wipe the sweat from his face.

In a battle like this, each combatant needed to choose moments to slow down very sparingly. With how quickly one could be destroyed, it was moments, at most, where they could stop to breath.

Ichika got back up, and quickly took advantage.

Thomas didn't have his hands on the controls, and only put them back on too late.

Ichika quickly closed the distance, and hacked away at the defenseless Gundam, unleashing a killer combo that Thomas couldn't break out of. Thomas was sent crashing to the ground, blindsided by his misfortune.

"Damn...I got careless." Grunted Thomas.

Ichika circled around to behind Thomas, meaning he'd be in the Gundam's blind spot when it got up.

Thomas got up, and quickly spun counter-clockwise, raising the Gundam's Shield as the invincibility wore off. He narrowly blocked Ichika bringing the Beam Naginata down upon him. Thomas quickly let Ichika's momentum carry him past the Gundam to put space between them.

_Outside, Everyone watched as Ichika and Thomas moved inside the pods, acting as though the game they were playing was real. It was as though they were watching something from the actual Gundam franchise._

_The boys looked ridiculous, making vocal shouts and grunts as though no-one was watching._

The time was winding down, and the boys still hadn't done anything that would end the game with a victory in their favor.

Ichika flew around Thomas to attack him from behind.

Thomas roared as he spun clockwise, both his Mobile Suit and physical body.

Thomas brought up the Gundam's Beam Rifle.

Ichika brought up the Gelgoog's Beam Rifle.

They fired, their shots connecting and negating each other.

Ichika rushed in with the Beam Naginata, attempting to take Thomas down before he could react. However, Thomas jammed his foot on the left pedal of the pod, and rocketed up into the air before Ichika reached him.

Thomas landed, and spun around to face Ichika once more.

Ichika rushed in with the Beam Naginata in one hand, and his Shield in the other.

Thomas rushed in, pulling out another Beam Saber, and raising the Gundam's Shield.

But just before the boys could attack...

...The time ran out.

_"Match Finish!"_ The screen popped up.

Ichika and Thomas both gave a groan in disappointment.

Their battle ended as a draw.

* * *

The boys exited the pods.

After a while, it was nearing closing time for the mall.

Everyone quickly purchased last-minute items for a New Year's Eve celebration.

The group all began to make their way back to the train to the IS Academy, energetically conversing about their day at the mall. Laura remained silent as she cuddled the bunny Ichika had won for her. Lingyin yawned as they sat down in the train car.

Thankfully, they had the whole train car to themselves.

Elias and Cecelia sat next to each other, blushing silently as they did their best to maintain composure.

Nana took advantage of the moment, and took a nap as she rested her head on Thomas's shoulder. Thomas blushed, but felt quite calm with the situation. Ichika also seized the moment, snapping photos of the two couples, as there were unable to stop him.

"That was epic!" Cheered Lingyin.

"I vas very entertained," Said Laura, "Vatching my bride as a Mobile Suit Pilot is far better zhan vatching him as an IS Pilot."

"Hey! I'm doing my best!" Whined Ichika.

Suddenly, Ichika looked as though he'd realized something.

"Say," The boy asked, "What happened to Kanzashi?"

Ichika then pulled out his phone and began to text Kanzashi, inquiring her whereabouts. It was then the group discovered Kanzashi slept in, and decided to spend the day watching anime alone, her favorite pastime.

"Well," Said Thomas, "Hard to believe it's been another year _already_."

"I know, right?" Said Ichika, "It feels like we've known each other since forever, but when I stop and really think back...We only only did this whole shtick for about a few months. It's just...Wow."

"C-Can..." Elias stuttered, doing his best to work through his anxiety, "Can I-I simply say...That...It's been an honor?"

"Well," Answered Thomas, "We're not saying goodbye or anything, so try saying something else."

Elias smiled, and chuckled quietly.

In those few short months Elias had met Ichika and Thomas, the boys had been through so much it felt as though they'd been friends for an eternity. Those two boys had changed Elias's whole life, teaching him to stand on his own and live life without regrets. Even though there were things taken from him he could never get back, things that nobody would understand, he'd learned to finally move on.

It was about halfway through their first year at the IS Academy.

But...

Elias began to think forward.

What would happen after their third year, when they all graduated and went out into the world? Would they really be able to stick together, even after they were free to roam the Earth? What was to become of them when they moved on?

Elias couldn't find an answer.

But what he knew for sure, was that he could rest easy, knowing that Ichika and Thomas would be there to help him carry the baggage that rested upon his shoulders for so long. No matter what the future held, they'd face it together for at least a little longer.

The English boy felt that no matter what, there was nothing the boys couldn't overcome.

He'd soon learn how wrong he was.

Cecelia calmed down a little, and began to reflect.

At first, she'd been a snobbish, stuck-up girl that let the power of her IS Unit get to her head. When Ichika rolled in, she remembered Elias. However, she wanted to bury the past, thinking it simply wasn't meant to be. She wanted to forget Elias, and tried to keep putting Ichika in his place. Then, Thomas came about, and quickly threw a curveball at Cecelia.

She was so young in the ways of romance. She wanted to try and maintain her heading with Ichika, and was able to do so for a while. But at long last, Elias had suddenly reappeared before her.

She was scared.

They didn't have much of a connection prior to their separation, and yet Elias chased her like a loyal puppy. Thinking about how she abandoned him so readily at his most vulnerable would leave an impression upon Elias. She tried to chase him away, so that he'd move on and she wouldn't be afraid of him anymore. And yet, despite all the wrong she'd done by him, he never moved on.

He simply kept coming back to her, and kept his heading no matter what shook him.

Everyone had come so far, and they still had much longer to go.

And they'd be able to share the fun along the way.

* * *

The group returned to the Academy, and set up a party in the cafeteria

Chifuyu had an entire bottle of alcohol in hand.

Laura had become very concerned, as she'd never seen Chifuyu drink before. Maya was simply making sure Chifuyu moderated her intake. Alex sat across from Chifuyu, ready to challenge her to drinking at the drop of a hat.

Everyone else was forced to drink apple cider as an alternative.

Thomas chuckled, and zoned out.

So much of his life had changed. Instead of living the quiet life of some boy in the States, he'd become the boy with quite the enigma on his hands. He'd been through a great deal of struggle the entire year, and yet it felt that no time at all had passed between then and now.

Vanity was his bane, as he still didn't want what he had now to change.

Although, he still understood he needed to grow, and so that he'd finally achieve his dreams. So, why did it hurt, being in the same room as everything was going on around him? It wasn't deafeningly noisy, his ears didn't hurt.

But rather, the strange pain came from within his chest.

From his heart.

Thomas stood up, and silently left the room.

For once, he felt relaxed that no-one noticed his departure.

The sky went dark as night came around.

It was nearing midnight.

The final night of that year...

...And the beginning to the first day of the next.

Ichika stopped, and began to look around the room.

Everyone mingled, with Alex and Chifuyu egging each other on with a drinking contest, to Elias and Cecelia sitting side-by-side as they did their best to keep composed. Charlotte was victimizing Laura as she turned the German girl into a walking New Year's decoration. Everyone was horsing around as they watched Houki try to fit in. It simply warmed his heart to watch everyone getting along so well.

It was perfect.

Ichika remembered World Purge.

But comparing his ideal world to the one unfolding around him...

...He'd choose this one in a heartbeat.

The real world was a place that didn't revolve around him. He had to work hard to get what he wanted in life, and even harder to be mindful of those around him in the process. It was a taxing undertaking, but one that Ichika would never abandon.

However...

Ichika noticed something was missing, again.

He knew exactly how to fix that.

The boy walked out of the room, and found Thomas standing outside the building, gazing up to the moon.

Thomas was off in his own world.

"You've been doing that a lot recently," Commented Ichika, "Stargazing, I mean."

Thomas looked down.

"Yeah," He muttered, "I guess."

"What's wrong, dude?"

"It's just..." Thomas fumbled for words, unable to convey his feelings, "I thought I'd be overjoyed right now...But...I don't. It all feels off, I don't get it. I want to be happy, I _should_ be happy...If I'm supposed to be enjoying this, opening up my heart..."

He turned to look Ichika in the eye.

"...Then why does my heart hurt so much?"

Ichika flinched. There was simply no way the boy could answer such a personal question. He couldn't understand the question, as he'd never truly gone through such himself before. This was a question for Thomas to answer alone.

"Well..." Ichika did his best to come up with an answer, "I'm not gonna lie: I don't know."

"Oh." Thomas grunted.

"But," Ichika continued, "I think, if you learn to carry this pain of yours long enough, it'll change into something else, something better. The truth is: You have a place here, with everyone. So, come back to us man..."

"But...How do you know?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"About how I feel?"

"What?" Ichika realized, "I meant that it's kinda chilly outside right now, you're gonna get a cold! So come back inside before you get sick! Besides, ti's almost time for the big countdown, hurry up with your stargazing already!"

"Oh..." Thomas realized, "I'll be in soon, go on ahead."

"Yeah..."

Ichika went back inside.

Thomas turned back to the moonlit sky.

So many wonderful things had happened that year.

He'd been given the chance to take his dreams, his friends, and his love back and have it all. He knew he had it better than most, but what everyone seemed to forget is that everyone struggles one way or another.

Thomas had a long, long way to go to finally end his.

Thomas looked higher, and found his eyes looking to the bright, full moon in the sky.

He talked to himself, as he was alone.

But like that mysterious woman said, he was never alone.

"Mom," He spoke, looking to the moon as though he'd deemed it his mother, "Wherever you are, I hope you'll be back soon. I just thought I'd...Say something, I dunno anymore...Well..."

Thomas sighed, trying to find the words to say.

"I...I guess I'd just like to say...Happy New Year. I've made friends, old n' new and all that jazz...Me and Nana are close to...Getting together and that...Um...Dad n' Chifuyu are working here, at the IS Academy-oh yeah, you might not know...But I did it...Your Son did it..."

Thomas felt a warm tear fall from his eye.

"Your Son...Did it...When everyone laughed and said I couldn't...I should be laughing back...But I'd rather wait until everyone can hear me laugh at them, just so they can remember who they made fun of..."

Thomas wiped the tear, and smiled.

"So...Mom, wherever you are in the world...I love you."

Little did Thomas notice at the time, but Chifuyu was snapping a picture from far off, smiling wholesomely.

"Oh yeah," She whispered to herself, "Ellen's definitely gonna love this one."

Chifuyu quickly went back inside the building.

Thomas sighed one last time, and finally turned back to go back inside...

...Where everyone was waiting for him.

"There he is!" Ichika chuckled, welcoming Thomas back.

"Sorry," Said Thomas, "I just needed a moment."

"We all do."

"C'mon!" Called Nana, "It's almost time!"

Chifuyu quickly went to the corner of the room, setting up a camera to take their picture. She taking extra care to place the camera at an angle where it'd get the entire room in the photo.

"One minute!"

Lingyin approached Nana.

"What do you want?" Nana growled.

Lingyin's face twisted a little, but the girl maintained her heading.

"I..." She grumbled, "I just want to say...I'm sorry...About all that crap while Thomas was out...I didn't mean to make you mad, I was just being...Jealous. Thomas is my friend too...I didn't mean anything against you or him...Happy now?"

"I guess I'm at fault too," Said Nana, "I got pissed...Sorry."

"So...We're good?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Great."

The atmosphere between Lingyin and Nana was still very tense. They'd just agreed to forget their little vendetta against each other, but they still had a long way to go before they could call themselves friends.

But they'd walk that long way, eventually.

"Thirty seconds!"

"Get your poppers, everyone!" Called Maya.

Everyone in the room scurried about as they quickly snatched party poppers.

"Well Son," Chuckled Alex, coming up to Thomas, "Here's to another year of insufferable crap!"

"Ha!" Thomas laughed, "You're the insufferable one, old man!"

The pair laughed, and placed one hand over the other's shoulders as they raised their party poppers.

"Twenty seconds!"

Everyone began to raise their poppers, and Chifuyu rushed over to the camera, ready to press the button and take the photo.

"Ten!"

Chifuyu pressed the button, and rushed back over to everyone else.

"Nine!"

Ichika, Thomas, Alex, and Chifuyu all grouped together, and raised their poppers.

"Eight!"

Charlotte quickly placed a popper in Laura's hands and gave a moment's crash-course on how to use it.

"Seven!"

Elias and Cecelia looked to each other, and raised their poppers.

"Six!"

Maya quickly stashed any alcoholic beverages while Alex and Chifuyu weren't looking.

"Five!"

Thomas sighed. He concluded this inexplicable pain in his heart was something good. It proved to him that he was still alive.

"Four!"

Ichika smiled brightly. This was the world he wanted, and was the one he got. He felt so blessed.

"Three!"

The timer on the camera wound down, and everyone prepared for the photo.

"Two!"

Everyone put on a bright smile, and pulled their party poppers.

"One!"

The room exploded with a barrage of noise and confetti.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Everyone began to cheer and yawn, conversing amongst themselves as they pulled out cups, drinks and snacks. Chifuyu and Alex glared Maya down until she pulled the alcohol back out of hiding. Laura nearly passed out after receiving a sudden explosion of confetti to the face from her own popper.

The boys all began to laugh and horse around as they grouped up.

They'd come so far already.

And they'd stick together through a lot more.

And best of all...

...They'd wouldn't be on their own much longer.

* * *

**A/N: Done! This chapter was going to be released on New Year's Eve, but delays and issues ended up pushing back release to now, sorry for making everyone wait. Stick around and read the notes here, because there's some stuff to be said!**

**First of all, I'd nerfed the Full-Package Byakushiki a little, and made edits to the Knight Gunner Remake, I'll put the new profiles up on the chapter we first get to see them in action.**

**Second of all, American Idiot's getting a spin-off!**

**Since I feel like the current series has gotten long enough to become intimidating to new readers, I decided to write a few new American Idiot spin-offs to encourage people to read! The current confirmed sagas are as follows:**

**American Idiot: IF. This is a series that focuses mainly on Omake segments and chapters that were unable to make it into the main story, so hope you enjoy some drabble and the like!**

**American Idiot: Soldiers. Image Orogis has descended upon the Earth, and war has broken out between humanity and the extraterrestrial. The only chance mankind has of repelling the alien invasion is with the world's most powerful weapon: The Infinite Stratos, an exo-suit that can only be operated by women. But out of nowhere, 2 bio-engineered male IS-Pilots arise to save the world, and find their place within it in the process.**

**American Idiot: Minutemen. The Advent of the Infinite Stratos has heralded a new age of warfare and humanity. What starts as a trend suddenly takes the world by storm, turning society into a full-blown matriarchy! But when a census reveals that mankind is slowly beginning to die out, 5 mysterious IS Pilots rise from the shadows. These are self-proclaimed "male pilots" and everyone's out to get them! But who are they, and what do they want? And what will they do to get what they want?**

**Soldiers and Minutemen are both AUs, so let me know what you think! Hope you all look forward to reading those stories as much as this one! And with that, it's onto the next chapter!**

**Oh, before I go:**

**In this chapter, Ichika and Thomas play _Gundam: Kizuna_. This is indeed a real arcade game in Japan, and I own no rights to it.**

**The full and proper name for this arcade game is "Mobile Suit Gundam: Bonds of the Battlefield," which is an arcade game released in late 2006. ****The chapter dramatizes actual gameplay, but the game machines, aka "P.O.D.S" are indeed very real.**

**I hope to finally play the game myself one day.**

**But until then, let's keep going!**

**Ichika, Thomas, and Elias are about to expand their horizon next chapter!**

**Next Time: Sonic Boom!**

**As Ichika and Elias try to test out their new IS Units, another surprise comes up!**

**The IS Academy is treated to none other than a 4th Male Pilot!**

**Meet Tyrone Adamson, an African-American boy from the US. He's very well-versed in Japanese culture, and quite fluent in speaking Japanese! The boys do their best to try and greet Tyrone, and ease him into the IS Academy!**

**However, a trip to Tyrone's room reveals a dark secret...**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**

**Hope you all have a happy New Year, wherever you are in the world!**


	36. Sonic Boom!

**I was a little later than I wanted to be last chapter, but I don't care! This chapter debuts Tyrone Adamson, and he's quite the character everyone can relate to! While writing this, I noticed something quite interesting.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**The New Year has kicked off, and it's with the biggest bang!**

**The IS Academy meets its 4th male pilot!**

**Enter Tyrone Adamson, an African-American boy fluent in Japanese! An all-around charming young man, everyone's in uproar! Ichika, Thomas, and Elias are all doing their best to welcome Tyrone into the IS Academy and help him get used to his new life.**

**But something seems off about Tyrone.**

**And a trip to Tyrone's room exposes a dark secret...**

* * *

Kanzashi was walking down the hall to Ichika and Thomas's room.

She opened the door...

...Only to find Ichika, Elias, and Thomas all wearing cloaks over their bodies as they turned to look at her.

At least, she assumed they were looking at her.

"Um..." She broke the tension, "What's going on?"

"We've just gotten word that there's a new pilot on his way to the Academy." Explained Ichika, pulling down the hood of his cloak, "I've gotten Tatenashi to let us know if there's any buzz on guy IS Pilots in advance, so we can properly introduce them into the IS Academy as fellow dude pilots. Word is that he's gonna arrive today."

"There's another male pilot coming?!" Cried Kanzashi, "Do we know anything about him?"

"Nope!" Said Thomas, pulling off his hood, "But he's probably gonna have some sorta big kink, we all do."

"K-Kink?!" Stuttered Elias, his face turning red.

"Y'know, like a quirk? Hobbies n' stuff."

"Oh..." Elias sighed, his face returning to normal.

"We're trying to think of the best way to ease the new guy into the IS Academy when he arrives." Said Ichika.

"I mean," Thomas criticized, "S'not like the rest of the student body's gonna be gentle with him."

"And you thought that wearing cultist apparel was going to help you come up with an idea?"

"No," Said Thomas, "We just wanted to see what happened when someone walked in on us."

"Ah. Well...Class is starting soon, so I'll be sure to keep and eye out for another boy."

"Thanks a bullion!" Called Thomas as Kanzashi left the room.

"Seriously," Said Ichika, "We should ditch these and get to class before Chifuyu thinks we started an actual cult on IS Academy grounds."

"Agreed." Piped up Elias.

The boys quickly took off the cloaks, and rushed to class.

* * *

Ichika and Thomas sat in Class 1, but the supposed new male pilot had not come.

Instead, Chifuyu gave an address on the matter.

"As you may have heard," She announced, "Today, we are receiving a new male IS Pilot-"

The class erupted in cheer.

Chifuyu silenced them with a glare.

"However," She continued, "He's to be allocated into Class 4. Please take extra measure not to drive him insane. Male pilots are a slowly-growing breed, and the IS Academy would like to encourage more and more male pilots, and NOT scare them off."

"Yes Ma'am!" The class boomed in acknowledgement.

Chifuyu sighed.

_"They're gonna scare him shitless, aren't they?"_ Chifuyu thought to herself.

Thomas and Ichika looked to each other.

They had to make sure they'd reach Class 4 the very moment an opportunity presented itself.

"Now that we've addressed that," Said Chifuyu, "All First-Year Classes will be doing a joint-training this morning. Boys, get going."

"Yes Ma'am!"

Ichika and Thomas bolted out of the room, and rushed for the Arenas. The boys were joined by Elias, and the trio thundered down the halls in anticipation, wondering where the new boy was supposed to be.

Elias was in the lead...

...And ran into another student as he rushed past a corner.

Ichika and Thomas rushed over to help the pair up.

"Apologies." Grunted Elias, "I didn't see you there-?!"

"S'fine." Said the student.

Ichika, Thomas, and Elias all gawked as they laid eyes upon the student.

The student looked up and gawked right back.

The student was none other than an African-American. He was roughly around the same height as Ichika and Thomas, certainly still taller than Elias. He had long dreadlocks, yellow eyes, and a warm smile.

The boys all stared at each other for a minute.

"I take it you're new here?" Thomas inquired, breaking the silence.

"Y-Yeah," Stuttered the boy, "My name's Tyrone. Tyrone Adamson. _Ohayo gozaimasu_."

"Throwing Japanese around?" Thomas chuckled, "No need, it's actually kinda chill around here."

"_Hai_." Nodded Tyrone, "Well, I mean, I studied Japanese for a while, it'd be a real shame to let it go to waste."

"Fair enough," Said Ichika, "Oh! Right! We gotta get going, come on!"

The trio began to trot down the hall.

"_Matte_-Where're we goin?" Said Tyrone, jogging after the boys.

"The Locker Room, we'll take you there!"

"_Arigato_!"

The foursome then took off for the Locker Room.

* * *

The boys all quickly got changed, and went to their groups in the Arena.

Tyrone wore a school IS Pilot Uniform, but his was royal blue in color. He wore a very odd-looking belt.

Ichika and Thomas puffed their cheeks as they held back their laughter. Thankfully, Ichika, Elias, and Thomas were all standing out of earshot of Tyrone.

"What?" Inquired Elias.

"He's..." Thomas chuckled, "He's a frickin' _Kamen Rider_! What, his IS is a fucking Megazord?!"

The boys broke into laughter.

"What's _Kamen Rider_?"

"It's Sentai."

"H-Hentai?!" Cried Elias, blushing.

Suddenly, Tyrone turned to look in the other boys' direction, as though he'd been attracted by something.

"No no," Explained Ichika, "Sentai is essentially super hero teams. Things like _Power Rangers_ is a perfect example."

"Oh...Sentai...Not...That." Elias stuttered, embarrassed.

Tyrone looked away, disappointed.

Chifuyu marched into the Arena.

"Line up!"

The students all went to their groups, and stood at attention.

"Since we have a new student today," Chifuyu announced, "Scott! You will serve as the gauge for our newest male pilot! Adamson! Deploy your Unit and prepare to engage! Neither of you will show mercy, got it?"

"Yes Ma'am!" Thomas said, turning to look at Tyrone.

"Understood!" Tyrone said, locking eyes with Thomas.

Thomas jerked his head to the left, indicating Tyrone to follow.

The boys marched towards the open area of the Arena, and stopped as soon as they reached a veritable distance from everyone else. The boys turned their bodies towards each other.

The tension grew thick.

It was as though two gunslingers from a western movie were in a standoff.

"For the record," Said Tyrone, "The US gave me from experience with this!"

"Then you best hope the US is up to par!" Returned Thomas.

The boys locked eyes.

**"Revive! Engage!"**

**"Deploy! Subwoofer!" **Tyrone declared.

In the blink of an eye, the boys were now piloting their respected IS Units.

Tyrone's was royal blue, but had a golden chestplate. The IS itself had something of an imposing look. The arms had two bracers. Overall, it reminded Thomas of the Akatsubaki a bit. But such spoke volumes of what the IS could do.

And, the most telling, the IS Unit's name: Subwoofer.

Was it an IS that dealt with sound-based attack?

"Boys!" Declared Chifuyu, "Prepare to engage!"

Thomas and Tyrone stared each other down.

Suddenly, they both Rapid Switched.

Thomas now had his Hip-Mounted Particle Cannons, and held the Yukihira Nagata.

Tyrone had configured the Subwoofer's hands into Pulse Gloves, and had two Hip-Mounted Missile Pods.

"Let's break it down!" Said Tyrone, suddenly deploying an AV Helmet over his head.

"Okay," Thomas said, taking up a plow guard stance with the Yukihira.

"Let's dance!"

The boys rushed each other.

Tyrone opened fire with the Missile Pods.

Thomas quickly shot the missiles down, and then opened fire upon Tyrone. Tyrone jumped into the air, quickly negating any shot he couldn't dodge with the Pulse Gloves. Tyrone then put his hands together, and charged an attack with the Pulse Gloves.

**"KAH...MEH...HAH...MEH..."** Tyrone chanted.

The air swirled around Tyrone's Pulse Gloves. A ball of energy began to form in his hands. The air rippled with power as Tyrone suddenly thrust out his hands at Thomas, and fired away with massive energy beam.

**"HAAAAAAAAAAA!"**

Thomas quickly activated the Type 2 Yukihira Nagata, and activated the Reiraku Byakuya.

With a powerful slash, Thomas split the energy beam and negated it, quickly switching back to the Type 1 Yukihira once the attack had ended. Tyrone steered closer to Thomas, switching from Pulse Gloves to a Katana as he brought the blade down upon Thomas.

Thomas blocked, and brushed Tyrone back.

"Not bad."

"That ain't nothing!"

"Come on!"

"_Ikzou_!"

The two began a clash of blades.

Thomas quickly found that Tyrone was quite skilled with his Katana, drawing out the mock-battle. As much as each boy tried to attack from range, the projectiles were met with a counter.

The boys clashed blades again.

"This was fun," Smirked Tyrone, "But it's time to breakdown!"

What happened next Thomas didn't expect.

Out of nowhere, Thomas was blasted right in the face with a concentrated sonic boom. He stumbled back, his ears ringing loud enough to drown out any other sound. Thomas was blindsided.

What just happened?

Thomas looked, and found two amps sitting on Tyrone's shoulders.

It didn't take a genius to know what they were for.

"What the-?!" Ichika gawked.

"Just as I suspected," Said Chifuyu, "The name was too obvious a giveaway. Subwoofer is an IS Unit that has a large amount of sound-based weaponry. Which is why I put Scott specifically in this fight."

"What?"

"Scott has incredible hearing. However, this also makes him far more vulnerable to things like repeated loud noises. Essentially...Subwoofer is Scott's worst match-up."

Tyrone poured on with blasts from his amps.

Thomas pressed his hands against his head so hard, it seemed as though he'd crush his own skull.

His eyes squeezed shut as he writhed in agony.

Thomas was at a dangerous position.

Tyrone could easily attack him. Although, Thomas could block an oncoming attack, he had to remove his hands to do so. And if he did, he'd only end up further damaging his own hearing.

But...

Thomas blindly opened fire with his Particle Cannons to try and keep Tyrone away.

Tyrone dodged, and with each dodge, he came just a little closer to Thomas.

"_Muda muda_!"

Tyrone brought up the Katana.

Thomas has a mere moment to react.

The boy fell onto his back, and raised the soles of his feet at Tyrone.

"_N-Nani_?!"

Suddenly, Thomas ignited the Revive's thrusters upon Tyrone at point-blank, knocking him over and ending his acoustic onslaught. Thomas slowly let go of his ears, only to realize he'd gone almost completely deaf.

Just before Tyrone got up, Thomas quickly pressed the Yukihira against Tyrone's neck.

"_Bakana_!" Cried Tyrone.

"What?" Thomas called.

"The match is concluded!" Declared Chifuyu, "The winner is Scott!"

Thomas couldn't hear Chifuyu, and didn't notice.

"Scott? The match is over!"

"You heard her!" Cried Tyrone, "Get off already!"

Thomas gaze Tyrone a confused look.

"What?!"

"Can't you hear?"

"What? You hafta speak up! I can't hear you!"

Chifuyu marched up to the boys.

"Scott!" She shouted, "You win!"

"I think he went deaf!" Cried Tyrone.

Thomas looked fed up.

"I'm done with trying to lip-read." He grumbled.

Chifuyu sighed, doing her best to signal Thomas to recall the Revive.

"Adamson, Dansforth, Orimura," Instructed Chifuyu, "When Scott finally gets out of his IS, escort him to the Infirmary."

She shot Tyrone a dirty look.

"You better pray Scott's hearing returns to normal." Chifuyu growled at Tyrone, her face stricken with anger.

"_H-Hai_, Orimura-Sensei." Squeaked Tyrone, wary of Chifuyu.

Thomas eventually recalled his Unit, and the boys all guided him to the Infirmary.

* * *

The boys sat in the Infirmary, waiting for Thomas to hear them.

"_How does it feel?_" Ichika scribbled down on a notepad.

"Feels like an obnoxious droning 'eee' in my ears."

"_Souka_." Observed Tyrone.

A nurse had come over.

"Thankfully," She declared, "Scott's hearing should fully recover by tomorrow."

"That's good news!" Ichika cheered.

"It'd be quite the hindrance if he stayed this way." Sighed Elias.

"This is on me, _gomenasai_." Apologized Tyrone.

"Don't worry!" Assured Ichika, "Heckuva power set you got there! Where'd you get "Kamehameha" from though? I mean, that's anime!"

"Oh-I-uh...I mean, it's a meme back in the States, and it just felt like a moment!"

"Makes sense." Ichika concurred.

"A-Anyway...I should get to my new room. Unpack and all that."

"We can help you move in." Elias offered.

"Oh-uh...No thanks, I can do it."

"You sure? It'll be easier if we all work together."

Thomas had no clue what was going on, and instead simply nodded like he did.

"Nah, s'fine guys." Tyrone said, "I got this, _sayonara_!"

"L-Later..." Ichika said, "What's his deal?"

Elias shrugged, and Thomas quickly copied Elias to make it seem like he'd been paying attention. Although losing hearing would make anyone panic, Thomas had already gotten over the initial shock, and did his best to remain calm.

Tyrone shuffled out of the room, panting.

"Too close." He muttered, quickly scurrying off to collect his belongings.

Tyrone pulled out his phone, and gazed intently at the wallpaper of his lock screen.

"Don't worry," He muttered, "They don't know about us. They don't even suspect a thing."

Tyrone put his phone away.

"They just won't accept me if they knew."

* * *

_The Next Day..._

Ichika, Thomas, and Elias gathered near the cafeteria.

"Hey guys!" Called Thomas, "I can hear you!"

"Really?!" Cried Ichika.

"...I can kinda hear you..." Grumbled Thomas, realizing he hadn't made a complete recovery.

"Eh." Ichika muttered.

"I wonder," Inquired Elias, "Where's Tyrone? Shouldn't we give him a tour of the Academy?"

"Probably going to get breakfast." Said Ichika.

"NIGERUNDAYO!" The boys heard Tyrone shout.

Suddenly, The boys heard an ensemble of thundering footsteps headed their way. Sure enough, a mob of girls was bustling down the hallway, with a panicked Tyrone running at the lead of the front.

"We...Shoulda told him." Ichika realized.

"I didn't think they be so rowdy so quickly!" Cried Elias.

Thomas simply bolted after the group, rushing to Tyrone's aid.

"You get used to it." Thomas greeted as he placed himself next to Tyrone.

"Does this happen to you guys every day?!"

"Well...More like a few times per week...I lost count."

Tyrone cried.

"I take it back! Going to the IS Academy was way more nerve-wracking than I thought!"

"That's a 'you' problem, the rest of the us didn't have any expectations going in!"

"What're we gonna do now?!"

"Try n' lose the crowd, like we always do!"

Ichika and Elias finally caught up.

"Are you okay?!" Cried Ichika.

"Our apologies for not warning you sooner!" Apologized Elias.

Tyrone screamed something incoherent, but the other boys knew that he was too freaked out by the hordes of girls behind them.

"Don't worry! Think of this as training!" Said Thomas, "Because everybody knows that the _best_ way to learn is under intense, life-threatening pressure!"

"WHO LEARNS LIKE THAT?!" Cried Tyrone.

"Me." Said Ichika.

"Me." Said Elias.

"Me." Said Thomas.

Tyrone simply stopped talking.

"By the way," Said Ichika, "Did you get all of your luggage in? If not, we can help you unpack!"

"Let's discuss this somewhere stationary." Said Elias.

"Agreed."

The boys ran all the way back to Ichika and Thomas's dorm.

* * *

Once the boys were certain they were safe, they caught their breath and sat down in the dorm room.

"I thought you would've bunked with Elias." Said Ichika.

"Oddly enough, nah." Said Tyrone, "Gave me my own room, since they had spares."

"What floor is it on?"

"The next floor up. I think I have the room right above this one."

"Can we check it out?"

"N-No, I...Still gotta get situated n' everything." Tyrone quickly refused, "Still unpacking an' that."

"Ah. Like I said, we're all willing to help with that-"

"I can do it myself!" Tyrone quickly interrupted.

"O-Okay then..." Ichika muttered, "Anyway, Let's all have an icebreaker! I'm Ichika Orimura! I'm from Japan. I was trying to take a high-school entrance exam, but I got lost and ended up coming face-to-face with some random IS Unit. I got curious, and touched it, and-bam! Next thing I knew, the government got involved, and I ended up here. I was actually the first guy pilot to come here."

"_Souka_." Said Tyrone.

"I'm Elias Dansforth," Greeted Elias, "I hail from England. I've...Had rather unpleasant experiences with the girls at my previous school. But...Anyway, my family's company was in financial struggle, and I just so happened to be home at the time. I grew curious, and touched one of the BT-Weapons prototypes. It reacted...And my parents quickly found out, and had me inducted to the IS Academy as their last chance to save the company."

"That's...That's deep." Said Tyrone, taking it all in.

"Thomas Scott," Introduced Thomas, "From America. I got lost in the halls, and found an IS Unit sitting in a back room. I...Started messing with it, and then it activated. Turns out, I got caught horsing around, and the US Government decided to lump me here to stake their figurehead into the male pilot-thing of the IS Community. I'll say this much: Fuck everyone who told me I couldn't pilot an IS."

"Kinda petty." Said Ichika.

"Says you." Returned Thomas.

"Seems legit." Said Tyrone.

"So," Ichika popped the question, "What's your deal?"

"I won a bet."

The other 3 boys were dumbstruck.

"Come again?"

"So..." Tyrone thought back, "My mom works at this IS Facility, and sometimes I come along because why not. So...Me and some friends were hanging out at the place, and it was totally chill. But...There was this IS just sitting there, in the parking lot-dunno how it got there. Anyway, me n' the guys all decided to take bets on who had the guts to actually sit in the cockpit, and I was up first."

"How much?"

"Fifty bucks."

Elias and Ichika gave Tyrone a look of disapproval.

"I can relate." Said Thomas.

"So...I got in...And it turned on. Everybody freaked out, and security came on the scene...And...Yeah."

"Say no more," Said Ichika, "We all know what came next."

"The government decided to send me to the IS Academy for research." The boys all recited in perfect unison.

The foursome all chuckled at their inside joke.

"Wanna exchange contact info?" Said Ichika.

"Sure!" Tyrone said, pulling out his phone.

Tyrone's finger slipped over his phone's power button.

Tyrone realized too late.

"Oh shi-!" Tyrone quickly turned the screen back off before Ichika or Elias saw.

Thomas, on the other hand, had seen the lock screen, and the image had been embedded within his memory.

Tyrone blushed.

"A-Actually," Tyrone chuckled nervously, "Write that stuff down for me? I...Gotta go call my parents. My mom's _so_ overbearing-wants me to call her after I got settled in to tell her I got in smoothly."

Tyrone upped and left the room before anyone could ask.

"That was...Odd." Said Elias.

"He's acting suspicious." Ichika observed.

"Perhaps he's shy? It'd make sense, seeing as he's obviously not used to life at the IS Academy." Suggested Elias.

"He has an anime wallpaper." Thomas deadpanned.

"Huh?" The other two boys looked at Thomas.

"His lock screen is Zero Two in her white parasite suit from _Darling in the FranXX_."

"You saw?"

"Only for a second."

"So...Why'd he leave?"

"Must be embarrassed."

"Yeah..."

The boys sat in silence, all of them knowing what they wanted to do, but none of them willing to outright say it.

Thomas sighed.

"Okay," He finally broke the tension, "Anyone else wanna see what's in his room-"

Ichika and Elias raised their hands in agreement before Thomas finished.

"-Thought as much." Thomas concluded.

The boys quickly went out to the balcony.

"I get that we're trying to get to Tyrone's room," Said Elias, "But what are we doing out here?"

"Saves time picking the lock on the front door." Thomas said offhandedly.

Ichika and Elias simply stared at Thomas.

"You comin' or what?" Said Thomas, as he began to climb up to the balcony above.

Ichika and Elias looked to each other, and shrugged.

Thomas quickly scaled onto the balcony, Ichika did the same at a much slower pace, and Elias eventually had to request help since he couldn't find the strength to lift himself up while he looked down.

And it was then that the boys realized Tyrone's supposed room was right in front of them. However, Tyrone had drawn the curtain over the balcony, and the balcony door was locked. Though it seemed obvious why Tyrone would do such, the boys were a little frustrated.

"Yeah, no, we're kinda screwed." Said Thomas.

"We can just smash it open," Suggested Elias, "We have IS Units."

Thomas looked at Elias.

"Think about it."

Elias began to think.

"I see...Never mind."

"There you go." Said Thomas.

The boys didn't want to bust open the door, since none of them wanted to clean up the mess they would make in doing so. However, it seemed that none of the boys had much of an alternative.

"What if we-no, that's stupid." Said Ichika.

"Why not try the front door?" Said Elias.

"Good luck getting down from here." Said Thomas.

"Why are all of my ideas so terrible?" Elias contemplated.

"Anyone have anything like a bobby pin?" Said Ichika, "Maybe we can pick the lock!"

The boys checked their pockets.

Ichika had spare change, keys, his wallet, and his phone.

Thomas had his wallet, keys, a coin pouch, spare change he forgot to put in the coin purse, a par of earbuds, his phone, and an expired gift card.

Elias had his phone, a wallet thicker than both Thomas and Ichika combined, keys, a pocketbook, a pocket watch, and items that Cecelia gave him and forgot by accident.

Thomas and Ichika both shot glares at Elias, mainly due to the wallet.

But none of the boys had a bobby pin.

"What the fuck do we do now?!" Grumbled Thomas.

"Um..." Ichika muttered.

"This wasn't really the smartest plan, was it?" Groaned Elias.

Thomas suddenly began to look at Elias's chest.

"What?" Inquired Elias.

Thomas suddenly pulled a bobby pin from Elias's collar.

"Huh?! Where'd that come from?!" Cried Ichika.

"When did that get there?" Inquired Elias.

Elias tried to think back.

"Never mind, we need to get the door open." Thomas said, pulling the bobby pin in two.

Thomas quickly went up to the door, and prepared to pick the lock. He then stuck both parts of the pin into the lock, and began to jerk and twist the two pieces in different directions, attempting to experiment.

"Be careful," Cautioned Ichika, "That's our only pin, break it and we won't get another chance."

Thomas twisted the pieces, moving slowly as he did his best to turn the lock.

The tension grew thicker and thicker as Thomas continued to get null results.

Ichika and Elias held their breath.

Thomas chuckled.

"Got you."

Suddenly, the lock turned and clicked, and the balcony door was unlocked. The boys slid open the door, and brushed away the curtain, stepping into the room. Bags and storage items littered the room.

Thankfully, they were right: This was indeed Tyrone's room.

"Hm." Said Ichika, "Checks out."

"I'm not so convinced." Said Thomas.

"We should get going," Elias said nervously, "I mean, we're invading Tyrone's privacy! Sure, the girls are one thing, but if we really want to be friends with Tyrone, we need to be respectful and mindful of him!"

"You say that after we pull a B&E." Said Thomas.

Elias blushed, humiliated at the reminder.

"He's not wrong," Said Ichika, "If we start rummaging through Tyrone's stuff, that'd be even worse! We shouldn't have done this..."

Thomas was about to retort, but suddenly spotted something in the open closet that caught his eye. Thomas went towards the box, and began to act upon his curiosity, much to the other boys' dismay.

"What're you doing?!" Cried Ichika.

"Thomas! this has gone far enough!" Elias pleaded.

However, Thomas didn't listen. Instead, he suddenly threw open the closet door all the way a hoodie. The boys gasped at first, stunned by Thomas's bold action in actually beginning to mess with Tyrone's belongings.

But what they saw next simply stupefied them.

Hanging from the coat rack was none other than an Ahegao Hoodie. Lewd faces of anime girls were printed all over the hoodie, and they were bold enough for all the boys to see everything.

Right next to the very obscene hoodie was a body pillow cover, with an image of Prinz Eugen from _Azur Lane_. She looked as though she were sitting on the bed, laying in a very sensual position.

Ichika blinked repeatedly to make what he was seeing was indeed real.

Elias blushed furiously, he face turning as red as a tomato as he covered his mouth with both hands.

Thomas simply stared, weighing the options of either taking one of the objects hanging on the coat rack.

Tyrone entered the room, only to find the boys staring into his closet.

The boy breathed in.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-"

* * *

After getting over the anger and shock of both the boys' discovery and Tyrone's discovery, the boys had settled down.

"Lemme get this straight," Said Thomas, "You were so nervous that we'd despise you because you're a weeb?!"

Tyrone nodded shamefully.

"Fuckin' weeb..." Thomas muttered under his breath.

"I'm...Sorry. It's..." Tyrone did his best to talk, "I just love anime. But...My mom doesn't like how I love anime, and that I don't have any girls I'm close enough to to be in a relationship with."

"Story of weeb-hood." Commented Thomas.

"See?" Pointed Tyrone, "This guy gets it!"

Elias was silent, as he was blushing at the thought of how much more lewd anime things Tyrone potentially brought with him.

"It's okay if you like anime," Said Ichika, "I'm okay with it."

"Really?" Said Tyrone.

"As long as you're not actually gonna wear that Ahegao stuff, It's fine by me!"

"...Thanks."

"What about your friends in the states?" Inquired Thomas, "They like anime too?"

"Yeah yeah!" Said Tyrone, "Anime's the thing that brought us together!"

"Heh, nice."

Thomas then noticed yet another object.

He made a squeal.

"What?" Said Ichika.

"IT'S SOPMOD JR!" Thomas cried joyously, picking up a Sopmod II Jr Plushie.

"I KNOW!" Tyrone cried, "IT'S JUST SO CUTE!"

The pair made a collective "HNNNNG!" With happiness.

"Looks like all's well that ends well." Ichika sighed in relief.

The boys were grateful that Tyrone turned out to be this way, rather than something far worse.

"I mean," Tyrone added, "My other mom's totally chill with it!"

The group stopped.

"Did you say 'other mom?'" Ichika stared.

"Oh yeah," Tyrone realized, "I forgot to mention: I have...Two moms."

The other boys stared at Tyrone in disbelief.

"To each their own, I say." Responded Thomas.

"Interesting..." Elias blushed even deeper, deeper than ever before.

"Hey! You did it!" Said Ichika.

"Did what?" Asked Tyrone.

"You got Elias to turn a new shade of red!"

Everyone other than Elias laughed. Elias was far too deep in processing this new information and imagining all sorts of naughty things to respond. The mere thought of Tyrone's two moms was simply too much for Elias to handle.

"I-I-Uh-I don't object to...That." Elias stuttered.

The boys all began to open up more with each other, completely forgetting about anything else.

Tyrone never felt happier.

The IS Academy was simply full of surprises to the young boy.

The other boys accepted him for who has was, he had the chance to get a girlfriend, and he got to act like an anime character at times. Tyrone's life had changed, for both better and worse.

There'd be struggle, triumph, pain, and healing.

What more could he ask for?

* * *

**A/N: And done! I love Tyrone as a character, he's just so relatable!**

**Furthermore, the release date of this chapter is Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday, oddly enough. I only noticed there was a huge coincidence a few days back, and so I decided to release on MLK Day just for kicks!**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**But now, let's get into Tyrone's IS Unit, Subwoofer.**

**Subwoofer is a 3rd Generation IS Unit from the United States. Originally, it was designed as an Unfolding Armor Prototype. However, the purpose was to expand upon the arsenal without having to take up data space. In doing so, Subwoofer could store hidden weaponry without detection. This was voted as a breach in the Alaskan Treaty. Due to such promising data and results, Subwoofer's extra weaponry had been removed, and the Unfolding Armor had been locked. The Unit was further remade at the request of Tyrone to match his tastes.**

**However, a second version of the Subwoofer IS Unit, made to replicate the original model's first design was made in secret to further acquire data for the Unfolding Armor.**

**Subwoofer's arsenal includes 2x Pulse Blasters in the palms, 2x Shoulder-mounted AMP Cannons, A Sonic Cannon, 2x Hip-Mounted Rocket Pods, Bass Gloves, and an HF Katana.**

**The Unit also features an Audio/Visual Helmet, mainly designed to protect the pilot from the Unit's own sound-based attacks.**

**Subwoofer's designed was inspired by Soundwave from the Unicron Trilogy _Transformers: Cybertron_. The Sonic Cannon was inspired by Jimi Stringer's Mega-Decibel Sound Blaster from _Hero Factory: Breakout_.**

**Hope you all enjoy!**

**Next Time: Year of the Rat.**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	37. Two heads are better than One

**And finally, we're getting even further into depth on the thing I fleshed out in the Kyoto Trip.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**Ichika and Thomas decide to practice together, and a freak accident ensues!**

**When both boys try to attack with the Reiraku Byakuya, they suddenly fuse together!**

**With everyone looking all over for the two boys, can Ichika and Thomas figure out some way to separate before they're caught? Just how far into the depths of their predicament must they go to fix it?**

**Will they be stuck fused together forever?**

* * *

"Wanna try out the new Byakushiki?" Said Thomas.

"Sure!" Agreed Ichika.

Considering how much had happened after getting the Byakushiki modified, Ichika had no time at all to see what new modifications had been made. From what he'd been told, it had a modification in both arsenal and frame.

He only hoped he could get back in rhythm with it.

The boys made their way for Arena 2.

It was empty, seeing as it was early in the morning.

Thomas yawned.

"Sleepy?" Ichika teased.

"Never."

The boys changed into their pilot uniforms, and marched out onto the Arena.

**"Deploy! Byakushiki!"**

Ichika sat in the Byakushiki's cockpit, taking in the the new features and design.

The Byakushiki currently sat in its 1st Shift, since Kagaribi was able to restore most of the data after resetting the IS. The Unit's arms now extended over his triceps with sleek extra plating. Twin snow-white antennae now covered the sides of his head. There was also the addition of two Fully-Integrated Hip-Mounted Charged Particle Cannons.

"Lookin' good." Said Thomas.

"Uh...Lesse about armaments." Said Ichika, pulling up the Arsenal selection.

Ichika gazed upon the list of weaponry.

The list had the Type 3 Yukihira Nagata, a Hip-Mounted Marksman Rifle, the Setsura, a Sub Shield, and twin Light Blades.

"Huh? What's this?" Ichika said, observing one last selection.

"What?"

Ichika deployed something neither of the boys expected.

The Byakushiki's upper-torso glowed, and changed. As the light dissipated, the Byakushiki's shoulders and chest were now covered in smooth, snow-white armor plating. The shoulder pads were now replaced with bigger ones, and the chestplate was encased with a smoother and bigger one.

"What's this?" Ichika said, looking over the HUD to identify.

"Looks like Stratos Armor." Observed Thomas.

"Stratos Armor?"

"It's Third Generation stuff." Explained Thomas, "Stratos Armor is mostly just components the IS can spawn to add extra armor and gear, it saves space and provides more options."

"Oh...What's it do?"

Ichika found that he'd deployed a Battery Pack.

"Oh!" He declared, "Looks like I can use this to top-off the Byakushiki! But...It's not exactly making me feel good about sword-fighting..."

"Old habits."

"Aren't you gonna deploy?"

"Oh yeah." Thomas muttered, as he activated his Revive Pendant.

Thomas deployed the Revive.

Ichika noted that Thomas started using the Revive's chestplate as well. It looked identical to the one Charlotte used while she went under the alias of "Charles." Ichika wondered why Thomas chose to use the chestplate, but quickly perished the thought and prepared to engage.

"Alright," Ichika sighed, "Let's see how this new stuff works."

Ichika deployed the Yukihira Nagata Type 3.

However, instead of materializing in his hand, the Byakushiki deployed a Sub-Arm from its lower back, and deployed a sheath with the Yukihira inside.

"Huh." Ichika said, drawing the Yukihira Nagata.

"What's up?"

"Nothing's different. It says it's the Type 3, but it's the exact same as before!"

"I think the addition of the sheath is the difference." Pointed Thomas.

"Oh, this?" Ichika said, pulling the sheath from the Sub-Arm.

"Oh! A handle!" Ichika said, gripping a handle built near the opening of the sheath.

"Hey! There's a trigger here-Wah?!"

Ichika pressed the trigger in the handle, only to have the sheath suddenly pop and collapse. In a single second, the sheath had changed from a scabbard to a blade in its own right.

"I think it's designed to be used with the Yukihira..." Ichika muttered, folding up the sheath and slipping the Yukihira back in.

Ichika pulled the trigger again.

Suddenly, The Yukihira launched right out of the sheath...

...Only to have the hilt fly right into Thomas's chest, sending him flying.

"Oh crap!" Ichika stuttered, "A-Are you okay?! I didn't mean to-"

"Ichika..." Thomas growled, as he got up.

"Yes?" Ichika asked nervously.

"You are gonna get it now!" Thomas declared, pulling out both PDWs.

"Oh?! Bring it on!" Ichika retaliated, preparing the Setsura.

The boys quickly traded blows, and their little duel ended up bringing Ichika right back into rhythm, with him quickly having to keep up with Thomas, and Thomas leading most of the fight.

Nothing too out of the ordinary.

Thomas deployed the Type 1 Yukihira, and swung.

Ichika brushed the blow with the Type 3 Sheath.

"Not half bad."

"You know it!"

"Looks like I'll finally get to kick it up a notch!"

"Yeah-wait what?"

Suddenly, Thomas rushed Ichika.

Unlike ever before, Thomas unleashed a series of standing kicks from his left leg. Ichika panicked, as he realized Thomas had been holding back for a very long time. Was it because he was being generous?

Ichika then got an idea.

Time seemed to slow as Ichika prepared his counter.

He quickly sheathed the Yukihira.

Thomas rushed in, ready to swing his own Yukihira down upon Ichika.

Ichika pulled the trigger.

The Yukihira Nagata launched out of the sheath.

Ichika grabbed the handle, and pulled it out, slashing Thomas right in the chest.

The Revive's chestplate now had a massive slash mark that dug through it almost completely. Thomas stumbled back, reeling from the unexpected blow. After two steps, Thomas quickly recomposed himself.

"Oh crap! I'm-I'm so sorry!" Ichika pleaded, realizing he just poked the bear.

"Doesn't matter," Thomas growled, "I'm still gonna get you back!"

Ichika yelped as Thomas rushed him.

Thomas brought down his Yukihira, and Ichika clashed with is own. However, Thomas suddenly jumped and spun, sending a heel right into Ichika's head. Ichika stumbled until he fell over, winded by the kick.

"Give up Ichika!" Taunted Thomas, "We've been through this before!"

Ichika got to his feet.

"Not while I still have enough power for a One-Off!"

Ichika whipped out the Setsura, and fired a particle beam at Thomas.

Thomas switched to the Type 2 Yukihira, and cut through the attack. Thomas then jumped at Ichika. The boy was glowing golden, indicating he'd already activated the Reiraku Byakuya to negate Ichika's particle beam.

Ichika flinched.

The Byakushiki didn't have the power to maintain the Reiraku Byakuya for very long. However, Thomas's Revive had twice the power supply, and could maintain the output for a lot longer as a result.

And since Thomas was currently using the Reiraku Byakuya as he lunged at Ichika...

...The only chance he had at surviving would be to use his own Reiraku Byakuya.

Ichika instinctively switched to the Type 2 Yukihira, and used the Reiraku Byakuya.

The reasoning behind doing so was that, due to the Reiraku Byakuya's ability to negate energy, The boys would end up negating each other's attacks, since they both negated the energy and were therefore on the same wavelength.

What happened next wasn't part of Ichika's plan.

Ichika brought up his Yukihira to counter Thomas bringing his down. Thomas was using his full momentum and weight in his attack.

This should've resulted in a clash of blades.

Instead, Thomas's blade phased right through Ichika's taking both boys by surprise.

Even more freakishly, Thomas's blade phased right through Ichika as well, leaving the boy unharmed. Furthermore, Thomas's momentum carried his body into Ichika's, which normally resulted in the two bumping together.

Instead, The boys suddenly began to morph together.

Ichika's Reiraku Byakuya shut down, as it reached its time limit.

And in a small flash of light, the world suddenly went black.

The last conscious thought both of the boys had...

...Was how furious Chifuyu would be when she found out.

* * *

_Some time later..._

"Hey," Said Lingyin, "Has anyone seen Ichika?"

"He must be getting up late." Concluded Charlotte.

"I checked his room," Said Houki, "He and Thomas aren't there."

"Then where'd they go?" Inquired Nana.

Houki shrugged.

"If they're late to class..." Whimpered Nana.

"I'll try calling them!" Offered Charlotte.

Charlotte dialed up Ichika's number, and to find that it went to voice mail and Ichika didn't pick up, no matter how many times she tried. The continued attempt at calling Ichika quickly began to make the students worry.

"Something's wrong."

"Try Thomas."

Charlotte did so, and found that Thomas wasn't answering either.

"What happened?!" Cried Lingyin, "Ichika could've been attacked!"

"Hey guys," Greeted Tyrone, "This's where Ichika n' Thomas are, right?"

"They're not here."

"Oh, this isn't their class?"

"No it is," Explained Houki, "But they haven't shown up today for some reason."

"Do they usually show up late?"

"They show up right around now," Houki continued, "But they weren't in their dorm room when I checked this morning, nor were they in class when I checked. They must've gone to practice at an Arena, but we don't have time to check."

"Ah."

Chifuyu entered the room.

"Huang, Adamson!" Announced the teacher, "It's time to go to class."

"Ma'am!" Cried Lingyin, "Something's happened to Orimura!"

"Pardon me?"

"Neither Scott nor Orimura have shown up, and they're not answering their phones!"

Chifuyu paused.

Although this absence of Ichika and Thomas probably wasn't very alarming, she couldn't brush it off so easily. The boys were most likely trying to remedy some foolish stunt they'd pulled, but she couldn't confirm nor deny the possibility something bad happened to them.

"Miss Yamada."

"Yes Ma'am?"

"Can you call the Student Council, and have them organize a search for Orimura and Scott?"

"Of course Ma'am."

Maya quickly set about contacting the Student Council.

Chifuyu sighed.

She trusted that Ichika and Thomas could handle themselves, but she couldn't afford to simply leave them be. Whatever they were up to, they had to wrap it up and get to class before her wrath was kindled.

She was going to have a headache on her hands.

* * *

_Ichika opened his eyes to find himself standing in a closet._

_At the time, he was 7._

_He'd been in this closet before._

_Or was this the first time?_

_Why did he come here again?_

_Alex wasn't home, and he'd searched the house top to bottom for something, but he couldn't remember what._

_It was filled with clothes on hangers, with a safe sitting right in front of Ichika. The safe was...Oddly familiar, but Ichika had never seen it before in his entire life. Ichika turned the handle, and pulled, finding that the safe had been unlocked._

_Inside sat a gun with a few magazines, money, files and papers all over, and an old shoe-box. The shoe-box was the most interesting, as it was clearly placed at an angle to try and obscure it from view._

_Ichika picked up the box, and looked inside._

_Inside the box sat a strange, bulky wristwatch._

_It was metallic, shiny and snow-white. It looked like a toy a child would play with._

_Ichika put down the shoe-box, and held the strange wristwatch in his hands._

_Suddenly, the boy was hit with a strange sensation that rippled through his body._

_It felt as though every cell in his body was being tickled heavily all at once. Oddly, his mind suddenly felt bigger, more vast in space. It felt as though the entire Internet was running through his brain in a single second._

_Ichika could hear the sound of the front door being opened. The sudden disturbance snapped Ichika right out of his trance._

_"Hey, Tommy!" Alex called, "I'm home!"_

_Ichika flinched._

_That wasn't right._

_What was going on? This wasn't his memory, he'd have remembered it!_

_If this wasn't his, then who's was it? He'd never seen this place before, let alone the closet! Was this a dream, and not a memory? No, a glance at the safe dial confirmed that Ichika wasn't dreaming._

_So, if he wasn't dreaming, and if he wasn't remembering, then what was going on?_

_The world began to turn white as Ichika slowly began to wake up._

_But all he was left with was confusion._

* * *

Ichika groaned as light bled into his closed eyes.

He tried to open his eyes, but his left eye simply refused to open.

When his eyes finally adjusted, he was staring up into the daytime sky.

How long was he out?

He was lying on the dirt ground of the IS Arena, meaning the Byakushiki must've unlocked while he'd been knocked out. His head was fuzzy, what happened to take him out cold? And why had nobody found him?

Perhaps he wasn't out for very long.

Ichika moved to get up, only to notice his hands.

The skin on his body, the complexion was all wrong, it was a strange pale rather than his usual tan.

Ichika then realized something else.

His uniform was now a pattern of navy blue and grass green, like Thomas's uniform.

What happened?

Suddenly, Ichika groaned again.

But what unnerved Ichika was that his mouth was moving all on its own.

"What the hell?" Thomas's voice groaned.

Suddenly, Ichika's left eye opened.

"Thomas?" Said Ichika.

"Ichika? Where are you?"

"Where are you? I'm sitting in the Arena."

"So...Am I."

"Really?"

"Where in the Arena?"

"On the ground."

"...Same."

Ichika tried to get on his feet, only to find his left arm was rebellious to his brain's command.

"Huh?!" Thomas grunted.

"What?"

"My right arm's doing a thing! I can't control it!"

"My left arm's stuck!"

"I'm in control of my left!" Said Thomas.

Ichika's arm began moving without Ichika trying!

"What the hell?!"

"Ichika..."

"Yeah?"

"Can you try your legs?"

Ichika found that he could only move his right leg.

"I can move my right leg, but my left's paralyzed!"

Suddenly, Ichika's left foot started to wiggle its toes. Once again, Ichika could tell he didn't move it on his own.

"Okay," Said Thomas, "Don't freak out...But I think we're fused together."

Ichika's right eye blinked.

"Impossible-"

"It's not. This feels familiar-"

"Yeah, but-"

The boys tried to talk over each other, but found their speech was garbled for some reason. It appeared as though they couldn't talk at the same time, and their mouth was unable to respond to them trying to use it simultaneously.

Thomas tried to lift himself off the ground by putting the left leg under the bottom, only to flop back down.

"Ichika." Thomas instructed, "We'll need to work together, so let's slow down and stop!"

"But how?! What the hell happened?!"

"I don't know! But we can't figure it out if we can't even get off the ground!"

"...Alright. Fine. How're we gonna get up?" Ichika said after a long pause.

"Okay," Thomas guided, "I'll put my foot under, and you support us with yours."

Thomas tried again at putting one foot under them. Thankfully, Ichika maintained stability with his leg.

The boys slowly began to stand up.

"So, what now?"

"One step at a time."

The boys fell over again, as both of them tried to lead.

"Whoops-"

"Oh, sorry-"

"Let's try this again."

The boys got up.

"Okay, Do you wanna lead?"

"I mean, where're we gonna go?"

"Let's get to the locker room, we can see what's going on with...this."

"R-Right. How about you lead?"

"Uh...Yeah." Thomas said.

Thomas took a step, and Ichika took one as soon as Thomas's foot touched the ground.

"Careful!"

"Sorry!"

The boys kept low to the ground, as though they were squatting. They eventually managed to exit the Arena, after a great deal of time spent stomping, falling, getting back up, falling over again, and struggling.

After an even longer time spent trying to walk down the stairs, the boys finally reached the locker room.

"Bathroom."

"Right."

The boys marched over to the restroom.

If they were lucky, nobody else was in there. The boys eventually located a bathroom they could use.

"Any girls in here," Shouted Thomas, "Cover your privates!"

"Excuse us!" Called Ichika, "We need to use the mirror!"

The boys eventually reached a faucet, and looked into the mirror.

"Holy crap..." Thomas gawked.

"Wha..." Ichika mumbled.

Their bodies...

...Had perfectly become one, singular entity.

The fused form had a blue left eye, and a red right eye. They had Ichika's hair, with Thomas's hair color. They had Thomas's muscular build, but still retained an average height and width. All over their body, there lay a mismatched pattern of Ichika's skin color and Thomas's.

"What the hell..." Thomas muttered.

They then heard a girl scream behind them.

The boys looked back, only to discover a group of schoolgirls gawking at them.

"Gaphasasdufe!" The boys blurted out, overlapping their speech.

"Who're you?! Are you a new male pilot?"

"Aghsad!"

Suddenly, in an effort to try and move away from the faucet, the boys flail about erratically.

"Oh! Are you okay?!"

"Gafahdudiduda!"

The boys begin struggle, their cohesion as a pair lost. Their body began to jerk around and shake violently on the floor, as though they were having a seizure. The girls began to freak out, unable to figure out what to do.

"We have to call the Instructors!" One girl said.

Thomas did what he could, and used whatever parts of the body he could control. With their right arm and left leg, Thomas managed to get off the ground, and hop away. The girls stood aside, completely dumbstruck.

This was going to go viral.

* * *

"What're we gonna do?!" Said Ichika.

"I dunno?!" Said Thomas.

"We gotta tell Chifuyu-Nee!"

"About what? How we just made the biggest scientific fuck-up?!"

"I dunno! But she can fix this!"

"How's she gonna fix us BREAKING SCIENCE?!"

"I don't know!"

"Where's our phones?!"

"I don't know either!"

"GAAAH! This is fuckin' BAD!" Thomas growled.

"Calm down, calm down-"

"Calm down?! WE'RE A LITERAL WALKING IMPOSSIBILITY!"

"Okay, okay," Said Ichika, "Our phones are in our lockers-"

"Oh crap."

"What?"

"We've got field training today, remember?"

"And?"

"Do you wanna be the one to break this to everyone?"

"I don't see the problem."

"The problem isn't the problem, it's the fact we have no idea how to describe the problem."

"...I see your point."

The boys' fused body kept making 180 degree turns each time one of the boys spoke, and quickly tired out as they boys kept going back and forth. Anyone looking would've thought the person they'd become was crazy.

"I still think we should try to tell this to Chifuyu-Nee."

"Fine. But you're the one who's gonna tell her."

"No argument here, you've been flipping out."

"I just wanna figure out what happened, I mean, this doesn't make any lick of sense."

"Maybe," Said Ichika, "But then again..."

"Hang on," Said Thomas, "Remember each time we used the Reiraku Byakuya at the same time? Remember how it felt all weird and I knew about the camera when you dropped it n' all that?"

"Yeah? What about it?"

"I think this sort of thing is why we always felt funky."

"I get your point...But what happened?"

"The Reiraku Byakuya supposed to negate energy attacks and energy barriers. I think, don't quote me, but I think that, since we both used the Reiraku, we must've phased through and merged together."

"That's something out of an anime!"

"This's just theory," Corrected Thomas, "I think the quickest way to sum it up is that we crossed the streams."

"So how do we un-cross the streams?"

"I have no idea. But I think we'll need to hold off one trying to find out."

"Why?"

"Tell me you're not the least bit nervous of what happened to our IS Units."

"Y-Yeah, but-"

"It's settled then, we find Chifuyu, and pray she doesn't flip."

"One step at a time?" Inquired Ichika.

"One step at a time." Affirmed Thomas.

The boys began to march their way back to the Arena.

Little did the boys know, but Tatenashi already had them in her sights.

"Well well," She chuckled, "Just who're you?"

A chill went down the boys' back.

_"I think we're being followed."_ Thomas thought.

"Say again?" Said Ichika.

"Wait, you heard me?"

"Y-Yeah...I could..."

_"Weird."_ Said Ichika.

"I agree." Said Thomas.

"You heard my thoughts?"

"I think that we share thoughts in this...State of being."

"Cool!"

Thomas sighed.

_"Let's just get going."_

_"What's the rush?"_

_"If we share thoughts, it'd stand to reason that we share memories as well, which explains why I could remember the camera."_

_"Now that I think about it..."_

_"What?"_

_"I think I just had one of your memories as well."_

_"Oh? Do tell."_

_"Something about a safe in a closet. There was this weird gauntlet, kinda like The Byakushiki's. When did that happen?"_

_"...Back in the States. I didn't say anything about it to anyone since I didn't have anything that I understood about it. I never saw that thing before, or since that day. I have my suspicions, but I think it belonged to my mom."_

_"Your mom had an IS?"_

_"I don't know."_

The boys continued their strained marching. Thomas felt uncomfortable, and Ichika felt confused. Their fused body took a toll as the result. They were learning to work in tandem, and becoming closer as a result.

All Tatenashi saw was a strange new boy she'd never seen before moving very peculiarly.

What intrigued the Student Council President the most...

...Was the fact she'd only first gotten word of this strange new boy the moment she saw him babbling to himself.

That meant only one of two thing.

Either this boy was fresh off the boat, or he wasn't supposed to be here.

And there was only one way to find out.

Tatenashi jumped out in front of the boy.

"Hiya!"

"GDGAS!" The boy fell to the ground in surprise.

"Oh! Sorry about that! Didn't mean for that to happen!"

"S'fim."

"Huh?"

_"I'll take care of this, Ichika."_

_"Didn't you say you wanted me to handle this?"_

_"The Pres throws you off, and besides-"_

"-I have the speaking ball." Thomas finished out loud.

"Speaking ball?"

"Tatenashi it's me."

"Huh?"

"Thomas."

"I'm sorry, what? You're not Thomas!"

"Okay," Thomas tried to explain, "Me an' Ichika had a big oopsie."

"Oh? Did you try ge-"

"Finish that and I will break you back."

Tatenashi nodded.

"Yeah, it's definitely you, Tommy. But more to the point, what happened to you?"

"As impossible as it sounds, me and Ichika fused."

Tatenashi simply stared at them.

"I'm sorry, run the by me again?"

"We're fused together."

"As in...?"

"As in 'totally mashed together at the cellular level,' it looks like."

Once again, Tatenashi stared at the boys.

"We need a little help."

"What, off-balance?"

"More like we have no balance to fall off of."

"Ouch! Want me to take you to the Infirmary?"

"We're late for class, can you help us to Arena 3?"

"Sure!"

Tatenashi deployed the Misty Lady, and carried the boys bridal style as she flew over to the designated Arena. Ichika caused the boys to blush, making Tatenashi giggle as the boys squabbled a bit of who controlled what part of the body.

"That's adorable!"

However, her smile turned to a look of concern as she noticed the boys made one of their hands move in a very unnatural manner.

"That's...Very concerning."

Tatenashi landed at the Arena, and contacted Chifuyu.

Things were about to get very nerve-wracking.

* * *

_Several minutes later..._

"You two better be feeling lucky." Chifuyu stared at the boys, "I had to get a substitute for me because Tatenashi called me over, saying that you pulled a _Dragon Ball Z_ or something."

Thomas and Ichika sat in a chair, looking down at the floor.

Chifuyu and Maya had just gotten over the initial shock at the sight of both Thomas and Ichika being fused together. Her reaction was about as much as they'd expected, with her refusing to believe the incident until she actually saw the boys.

"Is it alright if we make scans of this...Form of yours?"

The boys nodded, and sat in the scanner.

"That's...Strange." Said Maya, looking over the results.

"What?"

"I'm getting two scans," Said Maya, "One for Orimura, and one for Scott."

"And why is that?"

"However," Said Maya, "Looking at both side-by-side, it appears that both scans are identical."

"Meaning?"

"The boys are mirroring each other in this state of being."

"I see..."

"Boys," Said Maya, "Do you have any ideas on how this happened?"

"We think that a simultaneous use of the Reiraku Byakuya from both of us must've somehow pulled and meshed us together." Explained Thomas.

"How are you feeling?"

"Wefelsait."

"Come again."

_"You talk first."_ Offered Thomas.

"I mean," Ichika said, "It feels really weird."

"I'd reckon this isn't the first time something to this degree has happened with you two." Said Chifuyu.

"Hm?"

"Back during that fight back over Kyoto a few months back," Recounted Chifuyu, "When you both went to engage Phantom Task, Your signatures overlapped. I'd suspect you did this...Fusion during that time."

"This is something very interesting," Said Maya, "Logic would dictate we have you two try and provide data on this fused state. Alaska Treaty would then force us to make the research public."

"I sense a 'but' coming." Thomas piped up.

"-But," Said Maya, "For all we know, this fused state can only be achieved by you two specifically. And since this is a very, very alluring idea, nations would no doubt want to try and get their own data on it."

"If we were to try and conceal this," Said Chifuyu, "It'd be a serious breach of the Alaska Treaty. However, if we publicize this, then there'd most likely be a target painted on your backs. Regardless, I'd rather have your say on the matter, whether it means anything or not."

The boys began to think.

"She's got a point," Thomas thought, "This goes out into the world, heads will turn. But we can't exactly pull one over the Alaska Treaty either."

_"What if we try to make an appeal on it?"_ Ichika considered, _"Maybe we can try and get the UN to cut us some slack."_

_"Doubtful."_

"Boys?" Inquired Maya, "Is everything okay?"

"We're thinking."

"Excuse me?"

"We can converse mentally with each other."

"Oh."

"See to it you come up with a verdict quickly."

The boys nodded.

Chifuyu sighed.

"If Tabane finds out about this..." She muttered under her breath.

"What, Ma'am?"

"You know about Dr. Shinonono's...Eccentric nature, yes?"

"Oh...I see now."

"The mere concept would probably encourage her to do something very immoral to get data. As the boys have confirmed, she's done so in the past, and I wouldn't be surprised if she did so again."

"Since this seems to only have happened this morning," Concluded Maya, "We should be fine for now."

"You drastically underestimate her."

"Hm?"

"Anyway," Chifuyu went on, "What's become of your IS Units?"

"We don't know." Explained Ichika, "We woke up, and they were gone! They must've unlocked while we were out."

"That's quite concerning."

"I believe we should stop focusing on more long-term things," Suggested Maya, "A more immediate situation is how we'll handle if others find out about this situation. Although I doubt anyone will believe us, it's fair to say that the Representative Candidates will be in uproar."

"...Right."

Chifuyu was distracted.

The two boys she'd raised...Fused into one? She hadn't a clue on how to feel about this. Was them fusing a good thing, or a bad thing? Were they stuck this way forever? What was going to happen to the boys?

She was going to have to find some way to break the news to Alex.

But Maya was right.

How would the students react to this?

* * *

The boys did their best to remain calm as they stood in line.

They'd finally gotten to Arena 3, and were forced to join the class.

Chifuyu announced what had happened, and much to their expectations, nobody believed them at first. Several fainted when they finally figured out the truth, the Representative Candidates were currently fawning all over the two as soon as they realized the boys had indeed fused together.

"How did this happen?!" Charlotte gawked.

"Is this permanent?!" Houki blubbered.

"What's to become of you?!" Cried Cecelia, "I'll call Elias, and see if there's something he can do!"

"Doubtful." Said Thomas.

"What he said." Ichika followed up.

"Clarissa!" Laura spoke into her phone, "Ve have a serious emergency! Orimura und Scott have fused and become one! It appears zhey have two personalities in zhis combined form of zheirs."

Laura listened to her phone carefully.

"_Ja_, I vill ask zhem." She said, turning to the boys, "Vhat else do you have two of?"

Suddenly, Thomas stretched the waist of their pants, and looked down.

"What the-Thomas?!" Cried Ichika, quickly stopping Thomas.

"I was just checking..."

"In the middle of everyone?!"

"Nope! Sorry Laura!" Thomas called.

Laura turned back to her phone.

"Enough!" Chifuyu snapped, "Orimura, Scott. Since it appears that you can't use your IS Units, you'll have to observe others for this field training today."

"Oh..."

Chifuyu sighed.

This was going to be a very long day.

* * *

**A/N: Upon reflection, this chapter kinda sucked. And, since it would've been too long otherwise, I decided to make it into a 2-part chapter for the sake of time and convenience.**

**Let's hope that I can make the next part a bit better!**

**Anyway, I did some editing to the Full-Package Byakushiki, and here's what I have!**

**The Full-Package Byakushiki features antennae that cover the sides of Ichika head, more cladding around the chest and triceps, and more rounded shoulder pads. It also features two Fully Integrated Hip-Mounted Charged Particle Cannons. The Cannons do not need to be deployed, and can be used anytime.**

**Other features include a Combat Visor, the Setsura, a Marksman Rifle, the Type 3 Yukihira Nagata, and a Sub Shield, and a Battery Pack Stratos Armor.**

**The Type 3 Yukihira Nagata features a sheath for the actual blade. However, The sheath is also made of Fold-Out Armor, and can combine with the Type 1 and Type 2 Yukihira Nagata to form the Type 3 "Broadsword Mode" Yukihira Nagata.**

**The Stratos Armor is a 3rd Generation IS Equipment, allowing for things like modifications that can be deployed and swapped out for any developing situation. The Byakushiki's specifically is a Battery Pack, and can be used to recharge the Byakushiki's shield energy, allowing the Byakushiki to use the Reiraku Byakuya much more often and more quickly.**

**The Sub Shield is a melee weapon in principle. It's smaller than the Barrier Shield, and flatter. However, to make up for this, the Sub Shield comes with a flat pile-bunker for striking and blunt stabbing.**

**The Sub Shield was inspired by the Ground-Type Gundam's Shield.**

**The Full-Package Byakushiki was inspired by Gundam Barbatos 6th Form from _Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans_.**

**I feel a bit guilty, since it seems like I've rushed all this too quickly and there's poor pacing. Although there hasn't been much time to acclimate all this new stuff, I hope that I can make this all work!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**Next Time: Sum of Their Parts.**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	38. Sum of their Parts

**Last chapter was kinda bad, so I'll try and make up for it this chapter! All things considered, this chapter's coming out a bit later than usual, so I'm sorry for making everyone wait!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**With seemingly no remedy to their predicament, Ichika and Thomas are forced to try and work together. However, it appears that Thomas's reluctance to open up becomes a real hindrance to their teamwork!**

**And what's worse is the discoveries both Thomas and Ichika make of each other...**

**But when Tabane launches yet another surprise Unmanned IS attack on the IS Academy, can the boys find a way to pull themselves together?**

* * *

Elias and Tyrone were at a loss for words.

"This somethin' straight outta _Dragon Ball_!" Said Tyrone.

Elias, solely, was at a loss for words.

Thomas and Ichika sat as the entire class stared at them.

Thomas wasn't taking it lying down.

"The fuck y'all lookin' at?!" Thomas shouted.

Ichika took control of their left arm, and punched themselves in the face.

Chifuyu was doing her best to take this new incident in stride, Alex was still lying down after hearing and seeing the news, Maya was assigned to help the boys if they showed any signs of rejection to their form.

Elias finally knew what he wanted to ask.

"So..." He popped the question, "Can you deploy your Units?"

"We haven't tried." Said Ichika, "Miss Orimura and Miss Yamada told us they'd try and see later."

"They want us to get acclimated to this," Added Thomas, "Looks like we're in for the long haul."

"How does it feel?" Inquired Elias, "Being stuck like this, I mean."

"Well," Described Ichika, "It's like normal...Just...Not. Although this is my body, it's Thomas's as well. From what we know, we have to be in agreement if we're both in control in order to move."

"It's a good thing breathing and heartbeat are still autonomic." Said Thomas.

"Does this happen normally? I just got here a little while ago!" Said Tyrone.

"It's not usually such." Said Elias, "There are various...Episodes, but they're not so colorful as this."

"Not much of a good first impression." Said Tyrone.

"We're terribly sorry..." Elias grumbled dejectedly.

"I mean," Said Tyrone, "I'm not entirely complaining, looks like it'll never be a dull moment. What's happened to Nana? Thought she'd be all over you guys."

"Nana's in the Infirmary after fainting."

"Oh..."

Thomas and Ichika were currently attempting to come up with a name for their fused state. It was quite distracting as they could feel everyone staring at them, despite the fact that it had been a full day since the incident that left the boys this way.

"So," Theorized Elias, "You said it was the Reiraku Byakuya that caused this to happen? Why not do it again? Perhaps it's the key to both fusion and separation."

"Like we said," Snapped Thomas, "We have no idea what'll happen if we try deploying our Units."

"Oh dear..."

"We can also share memories-Gak?!" Ichika was cut short, as Thomas wrestled for control of their speech.

"Ichika?!"

The boys gave a thumbs-up to assure everyone.

_"What the heck was that for?!"_ Ichika internally snapped at Thomas.

_"I'd really appreciate if you didn't go spouting that!"_ Thomas snapped back.

_"Why?! Every little bit helps!"_

_"There are some things that I don't want to share! With anyone!"_

_"What's with you man?!"_

_"When this is over, I don't ever wanna do this again!"_

"What's wrong?" Said Elias.

"Thomas was just being-Ack!" Ichika was cut short once again.

Elias sighed, and turned to Tyrone.

"I suppose the very notion of fusion...Both IS and pilots...It's all still very foreign to me."

"I know!" Said Tyrone, "I can show you clips from this sort of thing happening in anime! Lookin' at this is kinda like Fusion back in Dragon Ball."

"Perhaps," Elias stammered, blushing a little, "But I've...Never really watched anime...So I wouldn't know what comparisons to make..."

"It's chill, m'man."

The fused boys began to grumble.

"What's up?" Said Tyrone.

"We can't decide on what to call this...Form." Said Thomas, "Any suggestions?"

"Puttin' us on the spot...Uh...Lessee..." Thought Tyrone.

"You have mismatched eyes," Observed Elias, "It's quite odd to see two of the most opposing colors side-by-side, red and blue."

"Odd..." Muttered Thomas, "...I got it!"

"You do?"

"Odd-Eyes!" Declared Thomas.

"Huh?"

"That's this fusion! Odd-Eyes!"

"Like the _Yu-Gi-Oh_ Card?" Said Tyrone.

"Yeah!" Said Odd-Eyes, "Sounds cool to me...Us."

Tyrone chuckled.

"Okay then, Symbiote."

Odd-Eyes and Tyrone laughed, but Elias couldn't get the reference.

_"I like it, good thinking."_ Said Ichika.

_"Meh, I'd rather not make a habit out of this."_

Maya finally came up to Odd-Eyes.

"Boys," Said Maya, "Or boy? Oh, I didn't mean to be offensive! I...Um...Which do you prefer?"

"We'll stick with plural for now." Said Odd-Eyes.

"Well, anyway," Maya sighed, calming down, "After classes today, Arena 6 should be available. We'll be performing an examination of your form there, and we'll test to see if we can get your IS Units to deploy."

"That's a relief," Sighed Ichika, "Thomas is being so-Ugk!"

"Oh my-! Is everything okay?"

"Just fine." Growled Thomas.

"Are you certa-?!"

"Absolutely fine."

"Oh...Very well then."

Chifuyu sighed.

She didn't know how to feel about the situation.

* * *

"Okay boys!" Called Maya, "Get ready!"

Odd-Eyes stood within the Arena, preparing for the battery of tests.

Kanzashi was ready with a monitor, to analyze and record.

"Odd," Said Kanzashi, "I'm getting vitals from both Orimura and Scott, like nothing's happened."

"And why is that?" Inquired Chifuyu.

"I'd surmise that perhaps their brainwaves are operating independently, hence their split-personality in this form, but..."

"What?"

"I'm sorry," Sighed Kanzashi, "The idea of this happening, let alone the fact that it did wasn't something anyone expected before with an Infinite Stratos, it's unheard of. At best, we're looking at theory."

"I see...Is it possible to reverse the process?"

"Perhaps, seeing as the Reiraku Byakuya was what led to this, it'd stand to reason that it might also be the means of leading out of it."

"Perhaps," Said Maya, "But we still don't know if they can use the Reiraku Byakuya in this form, let alone deploy their IS Units..."

"We'll have to try." Said Chifuyu, "Boys, try to deploy your IS Units!"

Odd-Eyes nodded.

"Eply!" Odd-Eyes hacked and coughed.

Maya, Kanzashi, and Chifuyu all opened their mouths to speak.

"I think I see the problem." Said Maya.

"Please share." Said Chifuyu.

"Perhaps they're still too independent of each other to deploy their IS Units. Rather than trying to both deploy their Units with vocal commands, they need to think of the same thing."

"I see your point..."

"But does that mean that deploying their IS Units is impossible now?"

"I'm not certain. If they fused, it'd stand to reason their IS Units fused as well."

"So what's stopping them?"

"They still need to work in tandem, I suppose." Theorized Kanzashi.

"So they're stuck like this until we can force their IS Units out?"

"It would appear that way."

Chifuyu sighed.

"Whats wrong, ma'am?" Inquired Maya.

"It's just...I'd rather not talk about it." Said Chifuyu.

Although Ichika and Thomas were brothers-in-arms, it was still stunning to find them fused as one. The very idea hadn't been given any serious thought before, which made it all the more confusing as it was actually happening now.

What was she...Anyone supposed to make of it?

A crowd was beginning to gather in the Arena, due to gossip and rumors about the boys' predicament.

"What now?" Thought Ichika.

_"I think the issue is that we're trying to deploy our individual Units."_ Hypothesized Thomas.

"Huh?"

"Think about it: We've been trying to deploy the Byakushiki and the Revive simultaneously. However, it's most likely our Units fused together as well."

_"So what you're saying is..."_

_"Instead of deploying our Units..._

_"We deploy our single Unit!"_

_"But the only complication..."_

_"Is what we should agree on..."_

The two boys were in the process of trying to visualize their combined IS Unit, but couldn't quite agree on what they were thinking. They had to be in agreement to do anything at all, which was far harder than it sounded.

_"Wait! Let's see..."_

_"I like that..."_

_"But what about-"_

_"No."_

_"Aww..."_

_"That's it?"_

_"Mhm."_

_"Alright, what now?"_

_"No idea."_

_"You're kidding."_

_"Nope."_

_"Oh my God..."_

_"Uh..."_

_"Let's just call it the Byakushiki-Revive. I mean, that's literally what it is."_

_"I guess...Feel we could do better though."_

_"Maybe, we'll figure it out."_

_"Oh! Even better!"_

_"What?"_

_"Byakushiki-Raphael!"_

_"...I like that. Let's do it!"_

Odd-Eyes inhaled.

**"Engage! Byakushiki-Raphael!"**

Maya, Kanzashi, and Chifuyu all flinched as Odd-Eyes was enveloped in light for a few moments.

And in the blink of an eye, An IS emerged.

It had 4 wings, 2 from each IS. All over the frame was a perfect union of the Byakushiki and the Rafale-Revive II. It was almost as though the different parts from both machines complimented each other, and worked together to improve their individual flaws.

But was it perfection? Or amalgamation?

"W-What...?" Gasped Maya.

"Ma'am!" Said Kanzashi, "I'm getting readings from both Thomas's and Ichika's Units! Whatever they did, I'm getting readings from both IS Cores!"

"Then that would mean..." Started Chifuyu.

"...We're looking at the world's first IS Dual-Core System..." Finished Maya.

"There's no way!" Said Kanzashi, "The amount of synchronization it would take to get the two Cores working in tandem...It's unheard of!"

"But not unseen." Said Chifuyu, "After all, we're the firs to witness this breakthrough."

All throughout the Arena, Odd-Eyes could hear an uproar as the observing students laid eyes upon the bleeding edge discoveries they were making right then. The hype would grow as time went on.

Elias and Tyrone were amongst the crowds.

"Holy-?!" Tyrone cried, "THIS SHIT IS GORGEOUS! LOOK AT IT, ELI!"

"M-My name's Elias!"

"I know! Eli, Elias, yeah?"

"I guess...But still, I'd rather you used the actual name, I'm not too much for nicknames."

"Ah, gotcha. Sorry."

"It's fine, we're still breaking the ice, after all."

"Which reminds me," Said Tyrone, "What's next? For us guys, I mean."

"I've no inkling." Said Elias, turning back to look at the Byakushiki-Raphael, "Personally, I don't think any of us know."

"Makes it one helluva story, though." Concurred Tyrone.

The boys looked upon the world's first Dual-Core IS Unit, and began to ponder. The recent incident that fused Thomas and Ichika got them thinking about their futures, together and separate.

What was to be their fate?

* * *

_Sometime later..._

After a length of time spent trying to get Odd-Eyes to recall the Byakushiki-Raphael, Tyrone and Elias met with Odd-Eyes in the Locker Rooms as they began to converse and think of what they were to do next.

"That was something!" Said Tyrone, "You sure you're not just feigning ignorance?"

"Nah nah," Said Odd-Eyes, "We're figuring this as we go along."

"Flying by the seat of the pants, eh?"

"More like by the seat of our cheeks-?!"

Odd-Eyes decked themselves across the face, courtesy of Ichika.

_"Oh come on!"_ Argued Thomas.

_"That's not appropriate!"_ Scolded Ichika.

Houki stared at Odd-Eyes.

Her childhood friends were now meshed together, it was so out of nowhere that Houki couldn't figure out how to feel. Her good friend merging with her secret crush...How was anyone supposed to cope with such an event?

Most of the other girls were crowding around Odd-Eyes, completely baffled.

"I've never seen anything like this happening before! Data on IS Fusion is invaluable!" Commented Charlotte.

"At first," Said Laura, "I zhought it vas just zheir bodies zhat fused. However, seeing zheir fused IS, I am far more intrigued by what zhey are capable of...Tell me, ish it effective two have two personalities to be aware in combat?"

"We don't know." Responded Odd-Eyes, "It's a hassle to walk, I doubt we can do too much in a fight."

Nana finally returned from the Infirmary, only to lay eyes upon Odd-Eyes.

She fainted the first time she saw it. But this time, she see the resemblance to both Ichika and Thomas.

"Guys?"

Odd-Eyes turned to look Nana in the eyes.

"You're not gonna pass out again, are you?" Odd-Eyes said plainly.

It was at that moment Nana knew for certain that Thomas was in this form. Her face remained somber, still getting adjusted to the sight of Odd-Eyes, a perfect union of her one crush and his best friend.

And yet...

"Thomas..." Whispered Nana, her somber face suddenly turning sly with a grin, "Is that an IS trinket in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

Odd-Eyes blushed, and looked down at their pants.

Nana chuckled, knowing Ichika was currently in control.

"I'm not the first to ask," Said Nana, "But...What's it like? Being...This."

Odd-Eyes paused as they thought of their response.

"Well," Odd-Eyes answered, "It's sorta like an out-of-body experience. Both of us can feel the whole body, but to either of us, it feels kinda wonky to one whenever the other does something."

"Ah."

"We're still trying to work together, but Thomas is a little prickly about opening up."

Ichika expected Thomas to shut them up, but Thomas didn't do anything.

Ichika began to ponder.

Thomas could be talkative if he wanted, but that's what made so Ichika so curious.

Despite how much Thomas could talk, he never said too much.

Why was he so reluctant to open up?

_"I heard that."_ Grumbled Thomas.

_"W-What?!"_

_"We share thoughts, duh."_

_"I-Uh-I'm sorry!"_

_"You're not wrong...I don't like to open up."_

_"But...Why? We're friends, so why can't you open up to me, at least?"_

_"I..Don't know. It's just...It doesn't feel right."_

_"Why not?"_

_"I hardly understand myself, I doubt anyone else would."_

Ichika could feel Thomas's emotions...They were heavy.

Ichika was finally beginning to understand Thomas.

After all this time...Thomas had been struggling like this? It was finally clear to Ichika why Thomas seemed so distant at the New Years' Party: He was depressed. He'd been struggling with that depression for far too long.

Ichika's best friend...One he'd known since childhood...

...He needed help, someone who'd save him.

What infuriated Ichika the most about the subject was that this was the way Ichika found the problem in the first place. Who was to blame? Was it Thomas, the one who hid the pain? Or was it Ichika, for not seeing it sooner?

If only he'd been a better friend...

_"I know you're mad at yourself."_ Said Thomas.

_"What? I'm not-!"_

_"Stop lying. We share thoughts, and I know you far too well."_

_"It's my fault-"_

_"That I'm like this? Get a grip, black hole. You really need to learn what you're responsible for...And more importantly, what you're not."_

_"How long?"_

_"Hm?"_

_"How long have you been like this?!" _Ichika cried, _"It's not right! You shouldn't be this way!"_

_"What? Because it's not what you want? Stop being such a selfish baby! It's my depression, I can do what I want with it!"_

_"Is this a joke to you?!"_

_"Y'see?! This! This is why I didn't want to stay like this!"_

_"Huh?!"_

_"Because, little by little, things're slowly changing between us, right now! Things were better back before we fused like this...I'm not ready to open up. And the longer we stay like this, the more you're gonna force me to open up!"_

_"Thomas..."_

"Guys?" Said Nana, waving her hand in front of Odd-Eyes's face.

"Mm-What?" Said Odd-Eyes, trying to look casual.

"You spaced out." Said Nana, "All good now?"

"Y-Yeah."

Odd-Eyes blushed, much to everyone's delight, as Nana's face was quite close.

"Hold on," Said Ichika, "You have a crush on her?!"

"YOU FUCK!" Thomas shouted back.

"D'aww...It's so cute! If you want, I can help you land a date~!"

_"This is why I don't like this!"_

_"Oh come on!"_ Ichika chuckled, _"Lemme meddle! This is too good to pass up!"_

_"Stobbit!"_

"H-Hey," Odd-Eyes stuttered, "Nana?"

"What's up? Your face is red."

"A-Ah...Well..."

Ichika snickered, he was the ultimate wing-man.

_"Stahp!"_ Cried Thomas.

"Y'know...I've been doing some thinking...And I wanted to ask.."

"Yeah?"

"Would you...Like...To..."

_"Nononono!"_ Shouted Thomas, unable to gain control of their mouth.

"...Go out with me?" Said Odd-Eyes.

Nana seemed unaffected by the question.

"Sorry," She said, "But you know I like Thomas."

_"Wah?!"_ Blurted Ichika.

_"Fuck yeah-What?"_ Said Thomas, _"She...Actually likes me?"_

"B-But how?" Cried Odd-Eyes.

"Your individual voices switch depending on who's talking." Said Nana, "Didn't think you didn't know that..."

"We didn't notice." Said Odd-Eyes.

"Really? That's-?!"

Suddenly, the alarm sounded off, much to everyone's surprise.

"The heck is going on?!" Cried Lingyin.

All the students in the classroom began to cry and panic.

"Attention students!" Called Chifuyu, quickly silencing the room, "You're to remain in your classrooms until the all-clear is given! Representative Candidates with Personal IS machines are to deploy and prepare for briefing!"

The Representative Candidates began to hurry out of the room, but Chifuyu stopped Odd-Eyes in their tracks.

"You need to stay here," She ordered, "We don't know the upper-limits of your fused IS yet. Until we get a chance to properly gauge you, we can't risk you in any combat scenario until you display mastery over this form of yours."

"Bu-uck!"

Ichika was about to refuse, but Thomas stopped him.

They both understood that Chifuyu was absolutely right.

"Yes Ma'am." Odd-Eyes grumbled.

Odd-Eyes sat back down in Ichika's seat.

"We have to help!"

"And how do you propose we do that? We don't even know what's going on!"

"Still!"

"I get your point, really, I can feel it. But...We need to think things through."

"But what if-"

"Nope. Nuh-uh. Not doing this now."

"Rrggh!"

* * *

"What're we up against?" Said Chifuyu, making her way to the control room.

"Golem IS Units. There's only ten of them this time. They appear to be the same version as last time, the Golem III model." Said Maya.

"Oh dear...She's at it again."

"Thanks to the boys' findings," Said Maya, "At least we now know Dr. Shinonono isn't out to hurt anyone, but gauge them."

"It's still out of line."

"We should see how things progress." Concluded Maya.

Chifuyu grumbled in concurrence.

Elsewhere, however, Tyrone was freaking out over his first time in live combat.

"Why?!" He cried, already in Subwoofer "What did I do?!"

"It's not entirely your fault," Elias consoled, rushing over in Knight Gunner, "It's the work of Dr. Shinonono, she seems quite keen on these sorts of antics. Usually, it's whenever she gets wind of new things at the IS Academy."

"So's that mean she's here for the guys?" Inquired Tyrone, referring to Odd-Eyes.

"Unlikely," Said Elias, "That's too quick a response on her part. I daresay she's doing this to gauge you, Tyrone."

"Oh...Man..." Tyrone whined, "I mean, it's kinda nice to get attention. But..."

"Not like this?" Said Elias.

"Not like this." Agreed Tyrone.

"You're not alone-?!"

Without warning a Golem rushed the boys head-on, nearly taking Tyrone's head off in the process. Thankfully, the boys dodged, and separated as they began to circle around their foe.

"Encircle it!" Said Elias, "It can't focus on two simultaneously!"

"Yeah-?!"

The boys rushed in to take the Golem from both sides, only to receive a preemptive attack from the Golem in response. Tyrone was clotheslined by the Golem's big arm, and Elias tanked a barrage from its Particle Cannon.

"What was that you just said?" Tyrone groaned as he writhed on the ground.

"Elias!" Cried Cecelia, rushing to the boys' aid.

"No! Stay back!" Cried Elias.

Cecelia charged in, hoping to chase the Golem away from the boys. She deployed all 4 Optical Drones, and fired away with her Sniper Rifle. Just as intended, the Golem quickly broke away to avoid getting hit.

Not too far away, Houki and Nana worked together to fend off 3 Golems.

"Watch your back!" Said Nana, opening fire upon the Golem behind Houki.

Houki seized the opening, and thrust her Katanas behind herself, prodding the Golem as its Absolute Defense kicked in. Houki spun around, and danced in the Akatsubaki as she struck the Golem over and over.

The Golem quickly recovered, and joined Houki's dance with its own Wrist Blade.

"Dammit!" Snapped Houki, as the Golem made counter after counter against her.

Lingyin and Kanzashi were back to back as they were surrounded by 5 Golems.

"Rrggh!" Lingyin growled, "This is infuriating! They keep dodging my shots!"

"Mine as well!" Cried Kanzashi, "They're moving too quickly!"

"Hold the line!" Said Charlotte, "They'll fall eventually!"

"_Ja_!" Shouted Laura, rushing the last Golem with her Beam Tonfa.

The Golem was very annoyingly dodging Laura's attacks with relative ease, due to her not using the AIC to stop it. Laura tried to catch the Golem off-guard with a point-blank shot from her right Railgun, only to fall with a sudden counter from the Golem.

Elias finally got back up, as took a deep breath.

"Right then," He said, "Let's hope Father's modifications are up to par!"

Elias rushed a Golem, his Lancer Bit at the ready.

"And now!" Declared Elias, **"Calvary Mode, engage!"**

Suddenly, the Knight Gunner's legs hissed, and the front cladding popped off. Two smaller legs folded out of the shins, and the main legs knelt, giving the impression the Knight Gunner had developed 4 legs.

In the blink of an eye, the Knight Gunner now looked like a mechanical centaur!

"Let's have a go!" Declared Elias, deploying a Barrier Shield.

The Golem swung at Elias, only to have Elias suddenly spin around the Golem and flawlessly evade the Golem's attack. The English boy delivered a whack to the Golem's head with the Lancer Bit.

Back in the classroom, Odd-Eyes was having an internal conflict.

"We've gotta assist! We can just rip 'em apart with the Reiraku Byakuya, no?"

"Perhaps, but we don't know what we can do just yet!" Argued Thomas.

_"And this is the prime opportunity to figure that out!"_

_"This isn't up for debate!"_

_"But this is Tabane! She's not gonna kill us...Right?"_

_"Ugh! You know what? Fuck it, let's go!"_

_"Really?!"_

_"Since you can't shut the hell up, fine!"_

_"Awright!"_

Odd-Eyes jumped up from their seat, and rushed towards the windows.

"Hey guys!" Called Honne, "Where're you going?"

Odd-Eyes opened a window, and threw off the school uniform, exchanging it for the pilot suit underneath.

"Wait!"

Odd-Eyes suddenly prepared to slip out the window, and the rest of the students got up to stop them.

"We'll be back soon!"

Odd-Eyes dove through the open window.

**"Deploy! Byakushiki-Raphael!"**

In a flash of light, Odd-Eyes took to the skies in the Byakushiki-Raphael.

"What've we got?"

The HUD opened up the weapons list.

"Oh come on!"

"What?" Said Thomas.

"All we've got is the Yukihira Nigata!"

"Then let's use it to the fullest extent!"

"You're kidding!"

"You got a better plan?"

"Dammit..."

"This was your idea, beggars can't be choosers."

Odd-Eyes deployed the Yukihira Nigata, only to find it had once again changed.

Instead of the Type 3 Yukihira Nigata, it'd been labeled as the Type 4 Yukihira Nigata.

The weapon materialized in Odd-Eyes' right hand.

Unlike before, which was either an energy blade, a sheathed sword, or a katana, this new weapon was a broadsword. It looked like a mesh of both boys' Yukihira Nigatas, fused together by the false edge of the blade to create a wider blade.

"Remember," Said Thomas, "First moment it looks bad, we pull back."

"Right!"

The boys' were now in sight of the battle.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Called Odd-Eyes.

"_Scott?! Orimura?! What d'you think you're doing?!_" Maya's voice cackled into their ear.

"_What the hell you two?!_" Chifuyu snapped, "_Retreat! You have orders!_"

"With all due respect," Said Odd-Eyes, "This is the prime moment to gauge ourselves!"

The Golems suddenly stopped.

"_New target acquired._" They boomed in unison, right as they turned to Odd-Eyes' direction.

_"They've engaged."_ Said Thomas, _"Four left, two right, four center. Circle to the right and weave into their line."_

"Huh?" Said Ichika, "Why're you talking like that?"

_"Thoughts are pretty much like internalized talking."_ Said Thomas, _"This is how I think."_

_"This has been going on...This whole time?"_

_"You act so surprised, we've established this already."_

_"But-!"_

_"Focus!"_

Suddenly, Odd-Eyes took a solid punch right to the face, and fell hard.

"Ichika! Thomas!" Everyone cried.

_"Potential concussion,"_ Said Thomas, _"Success rate dropped immensely. Re-align and pull out of range."_

_"I can do this!"_ Said Ichika.

_"Then do it already!"_

Odd-Eyes got to their feet, only to be surrounded by the Golems.

"Aw crap."

"Guys! Get out of there!" Cried Nana.

They were too late to act, the Golems opened fire at Odd-Eyes from all sides.

The other IS Pilots came to support, quickly pushing back the enemy away from their fallen friend.

Odd-Eyes was kneeling on both knees, their face looking up to the heavens. Various parts of their armor had cracked. Odd-Eyes had a dazed look, almost as though they were in a haze.

"Defend the guys!" Ordered Nana, getting the others to form a ring around Odd-Eyes.

Meanwhile, Ichika and Thomas were in a fight of their own.

* * *

"You're not listening." Said Thomas, "This isn't something we can just do, we need to practice!"

"Is this really how you see the world? Predictions and calculations?"

_Elias clashed blades with a Golem, Tyrone fended off another attempting to hit Elias from behind._

"It's how I've gotten this far."

_Lingyin was piggybacking on Houki as the charged a group of Golems, Lingyin fired away with her Shock Cannons._

"But how?! It's so distracting! I need you to help me!"

"Oh no you don't!" Snapped Thomas, "You're the idiot who wanted to do this...So either you see it through, or so help me, I'll do it for you!"

"No!" Shouted Ichika, "We're doing this! Together! But we can't work together unless you open to me!"

"That's not important!"

"It IS!" Ichika shouted, "Stop acting like it's okay, it's not okay! You're human too! You need to open up to someone!"

_"IMMA FIRIN' MAH LASAH!" Shouted Tyrone, as he fired both Pulse Blasters at maximum power._

_Both blasts connected with a Golem, and severely damaged it._

"I let you take the wheel...Isn't that enough?"

"No! It's not! Not when you're suffering!"

Thomas sighed.

"You're holding back." Said Ichika, "I can feel it. You're scared...Scared of what'll happen if you open up. You're afraid I'll know something you don't want to tell anyone, and you'll be vulnerable."

Thomas was silent.

"Why can't you see?!" Cried Ichika, "It's okay to be vulnerable...You don't have to be afraid. Whatever happens...I'll stick by you, like you did."

Thomas was still silent.

"We need both of us to make this work," Said Ichika, "We'll be stuck like this if we just take turns."

"I...Yes."

With one last reluctance, Thomas finally opened up.

The sheer rush of thoughts, memories, ideas, and emotions was simply so staggeringly massive...Thomas had been bottling it all up this whole time? Ichika was simply blindsided by the sheer magnitude of Thomas's mind.

His only memory of his mother, holding him as an infant.

The mysterious gauntlet in the closet safe.

His affection for Nana.

His fear of the unknown.

His anger, his frustration, and confusion about Phantom Task.

His emerging faith in others.

His distrust of Chifuyu and Alex.

His desire to find the truth.

Ichika felt everything all at once.

Likewise, Thomas felt Ichika's mind rippling right back at him. Thomas would've jokingly said he'd expect what he felt. However, in reality, Thomas was simply in awe of the volume that Ichika mentally conjured.

His desire to grow, to become a real man.

His desire for everyone to get along.

His anger over watching Thomas struggle. And not just Thomas, but everyone.

His confusion over Madoka Orimura.

His burning willpower.

His faith in others.

His feelings for Houki.

And most of all, He knew.

He knew about all the girls' affections for him. And yet, at the same time, Thomas now knew Ichika wasn't as ignorant as he'd led everyone to believe. He'd led everyone on with such a facade, it was simply unfathomable.

Thomas and Ichika were now one and the same, for however long that would be.

They were Odd-Eyes.

* * *

"Then we're agreed." Odd-Eyes suddenly spoke up.

"Huh? Ichika?" Said Houki, wondering what the boys meant.

"Thomas?" Said Nana, turning back to look at Odd-Eyes.

"Us..." Said Odd-Eyes, suddenly beginning to move once more.

Chifuyu began to hear Odd-Eyes speak over the comm.

However, she wasn't hearing Thomas or Ichika speaking individually anymore.

For some bizarre reason, they were talking simultaneously, in unison.

"Us...Am...We...Are...Odd-Eyes!"

In the blink of an eye, Odd-Eyes spun to their...No..._His_ feet.

"Orimura? Scott? Respond!" Called Maya.

"We're okay." Odd-Eyes spoke, "In fact, we're better than ever!"

One by one, the IS students all began to cease fighting as they laid eyes upon Odd-Eyes. Something was different about them, despite their already-bizarre appearance. They'd changed completely, almost as if they were no longer Thomas and Ichika.

The Golems likewise stopped.

"It's fine guys, we'll take care of this."

Suddenly, the Golems all began to converge upon Odd-Eyes.

But before anyone could react, the wind kicked up.

Whereas Odd-Eyes was once standing before the oncoming Golems...

...He'd suddenly appeared behind them, the Type 4 Yukihira Nigata in hand.

Suddenly, one Golem flew back, and landed in a heap next to Odd-Eyes, its torso spontaneously splitting in two.

"What the hell?" Muttered Nana.

"So fast..." Whispered Houki.

"Incredible..." Mumbled Elias.

Everyone was simply far too stunned to speak.

"Now..." Said Odd-Eyes, turning back to the rest of the Golems, "Who's up to bat next?"

Odd-Eyes twirled the Type 4 Yukihira and spun the weapon with his fingers. The weapon looked like a disc as it spun so fast it blurred as Odd-Eyes moved the object from hand-to-hand to show off.

The blade stopped twirling as Odd-Eyes took a Te Ura Gasumi stance.

At that moment, all of the Golems rushed Odd-Eyes.

As much as everyone wanted to intercept, they all agreed not to interfere.

This was a discovery in the making.

With the flick of Odd-Eyes' wrist, the Type 4 Yukihira Nigata switched to the Particle Blade, igniting with a with beam of energy, and rushed forward to meet the enemy head-on, curious of what he could do, now that he was one.

It was like dancing.

Odd-Eyes skated about like a wild animal, but with the grace of an figure-skater.

Despite the length of the Yukihira Nigata, Odd-Eyes swung the blade as though it was light as a feather. He whacked away at the Golems with unprecedented speed and power, far beyond that of either Thomas or Ichika.

Before long, only one Golem was left.

"Alright! That's our boys!" Cheered Nana.

"Finish it quickly!" Called Charlotte.

However, the Golem acted first.

It made a high-pitched screech, and all of the destroyed Golems flew towards the final Golem, and began to combine with it.

"Not again..." Muttered Odd-Eyes.

The Mega-Golem swung at Odd-Eyes.

Thankfully, Odd-Eyes was able to dodge in time.

"What'd we do last time? Cross the streams? Can't do that in this...Form...Ooh! Big brain!"

The Mega-Golem brought its fist down upon Odd-Eyes.

Odd-Eyes recalled the Yukihira and tanked the blow, holding the fist above himself like a heavy object on his back.

They were in sync now more than ever.

They could do it.

**"Reiraku Byakuya!"**

Odd-Eyes and the Byakushiki-Raphael were enveloped in a golden aura.

Suddenly, Thomas and Ichika magically appeared flying away mere moments from being crushed under the Mega-Golem's fist. The boys were in their individual IS Units, both with determined grins on their faces.

"What the-?!"

"Holy-?!"

"Guys?!"

"We're BACK!" Shouted Thomas as he rammed the Mega-Golem head-on, sending it off-balance.

"And we're BETTER THAN EVER!" Shouted Ichika, pulling out the Type 2 Yukihira Nigata.

The students all watched in awe.

After a day of watching the boys fight each other...

...They'd become so much more synchronized.

"Man, I'm on such a crazy-frickin' high right now!" Shouted Thomas, throwing punches, "Feel so light! So easy!"

"You n' me both!" Agreed Ichika.

Meanwhile, the other students began to set about taking a break.

"They got this." Said Tyrone.

"They're back to normal..." Sighed Elias, relieved.

"Ichika!" Called Houki.

"Now that's better!" Said Thomas, relieved he was able to get out of the fusion.

"Remember last time? Cross the streams!" Reminded Ichika, deploying a Hip-Mounted Particle Cannon.

Thomas did the same, and the boys got into position.

They fired, connecting their particle streams around the Mega-Golem's right hip, causing an implosion that blew the Mega-Golem apart, and exposed the remaining Golem. It was clear to both boys what came next.

They both pulled out the Type 2 Yukihira Nigata, and proceeded to cut the Golem to ribbons.

It didn't take very long.

After only a few moments, the boys stopped, and relaxed.

"Chifuyu's gonna kill us." said Ichika.

"I'd be more shocked if she doesn't." Concurred Thomas.

They were in so much trouble.

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!" Chifuyu boomed, delivering chops to both Ichika and Thomas's head.

In the course of an hour, Alex finally recovered from fainting, IS Instructors had cleaned up the mess of Golem parts littering the area, the Representative Candidates were debriefed, and Chifuyu personally delivered the admonishment to Ichika and Thomas for disobeying orders.

At least she could hit them both separately again.

"You pull some stupid stunt..." Chifuyu grumbled, in between chops to Ichika and Thomas, "You 'accidentally' fuse into a single being...You give me a heart attack...You put your father in the Infirmary for fainting...You start YET ANOTHER riot in the student body...And now, you're about to get shit from the UN for this whole escapade...WHAT WERE YOU TWO THINKING?!"

"It was in the heat of the moment..." Ichika mumbled.

"OH?! IS THAT SO?!" Chifuyu glared into Ichika's soul, "Well, you can expect something that won't be in the heat of the moment: Your punishment!"

"NO!" Cried Ichika, "Anything! Please! Mercy!"

Thomas remained silent, praying he could weather the storm.

Chifuyu then turned her vengeful aura on him.

"And you..." She growled, "YOU...You're supposed to be the RESPONSIBLE ONE! WHAT?! DID YOU JUST DECIDE TO LET JESUS OVER HERE TO TAKE THE WHEEL?!"

"I...Well...Um..."

"Oh..." Chifuyu began to chuckle psychotically, "You two will definitely be sorry when I'm done with you..."

Chifuyu began to laugh manically, imaging the torture she'd put Ichika and Thomas through.

"Hey kids!" Alex popped in, jovial as ever.

"O-Oh! H-Hi." Chifuyu quickly went back to normal.

"So, how're my kids doing? You're looking better!" Said Alex.

"Speak for yourself." Said Chifuyu, "You dropped like a brick when you say the-"

"Shut up!" Snapped Alex, blushing.

"Anyway," Said Chifuyu, glaring back down at the boys, "Don't think that just because we're taking a break means you're home free."

"Man," Interjected Alex, "How long has it been since we've had the chance to group up like a family?"

"Too long." Sighed Chifuyu.

"Those were the glory days..." Reminisced Alex, "Anyway! Go on! Act like I'm not here!"

"Thank you." Said Chifuyu, right before turning back to continue shouting at the boys.

Thomas and Ichika sighed.

It was just like a family circus.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

Tabane watched to footage.

She was clapping slowly, she cried silently, despite the smile on her face.

"Beautiful..."

"Mama Tabane?" Inquired Chloe, as she looked to the screen.

"It's just..." Tabane was sniffling, "I can't...It's...Breathtaking..."

Tabane was viewing footage of Odd-Eyes, which had been recorded by the Golem Units.

"I never thought this would ever happen before, until it did! This is just incredible! The sheer amount of data that can be found...Imagine it, Chloe-Chan! The world's first Dual-Core IS Unit...Perfect synchronization."

The IS Core was something Tabane had made to function on its own. Using two would be unwise, as they'd need to run in tandem operation in order to function properly. The very notion that someone that WASN'T Tabane was able to do Tabane Shinonono one better...

It felt like a challenge.

But how? How could she make a Dual-Core IS?

The only viable way to do so would be to re-create the incident that fused Thomas and Ichika, and doing so would require the very unique Yukihira Nigata and its One-Off, the Reiraku Byakuya.

And obviously the boys wouldn't give up the weapon without a fight, or at all.

It didn't matter, Tabane could find something to occupy herself until then.

Tabane looked at the calendar.

It was almost Valentine's Day.

A very mischievous smile curled onto the evil bunny lady's face.

Perhaps she could have a little fun...

* * *

**A/N: Again, I'm so so so so sorry for releasing this chapter so long after the one prior. I've been working on some other stories, plus I had writers block for a good while. However, I'm back! And it may be too late, I'm doing a Valentine's day chapter anyway!**

**But, now that it's finally officially made, let's talk about Odd-Eyes!**

**Odd-Eyes is the combined consciousness and body of Thomas and Ichika as they're fused together. The appearance is more a mismatched pattern of Thomas and Ichika seamlessly meshed together.**

**Their fused IS Unit is the Byakushiki-Raphael. It is the first IS Unit to operate on a Dual-Core System. In this form, they have a doubled power supply added from both of their individual Units.**

**In this form, they only have access to the Type 4 Yukihira Nigata. The Type 4 is a meshed weapon made from both of the boys' individual version of the weapon. It can switch from Closed Form, to Active Particle Form.**

**The Byakushiki-Raphael has 4 wings, two from the Byakushiki, and two from the Rafale-Revive. The arms are a mesh of the Byakushiki's arms to the Revive's bicep plating. The legs are mainly a pattern of both IS Units' plating.**

**Ever since reversing the process, Thomas outright refuses to do it again.**

**I hope you like this chapter!**

**Next time: Love is Pain.**

**It's Valentine's Day at the IS Academy, but something's gone wrong!**

**What seemed like a fun day for the boys and their friends soon turns into yet another run for their lives, with the entire female population of the IS Academy out to get them!**

**Can the boys find a way to salvage the wreckage of a day?**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated, and show that you care!**


	39. Love is Pain

**This Chapter came out a lot later than I wanted it to, but thankfully I was able to pull myself together and write it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**It's Valentine's Day at the IS Academy, and everyone's gearing up for a celebration to remember! With the girls all trying to woo the 4 boys, it's a day of good fun f****or all to have!**

**However...Things quickly go awry.**

**What starts out as harmless flirting soon turns into an island-wide case of lovesick hunting!**

**The entire female population of the IS Academy is now on the hunt to win the affections of the boys, and they're out to do it by force if they have to! With no end in sight, the chase is on!**

**Can the boys find a way to reverse to situation, and salvage Valentine's Day?**

* * *

Love was in the air at the IS Academy.

It was Valentine's Day!

Colors of pink, red, and white were all about the halls, classrooms, and dorms. Students and Staff alike were beginning to exchange items between their peers and colleagues, whether they were chocolate, lover letters, cards, or gifts.

"Vhat's a Valentine?" Inquired Laura, curious why everything was all pink.

"Ah!" Explained Charlotte, "Valentine's Day is the Feast Day of Saint Valentine, and originates from Christianity. Although the religious aspect is hardly celebrated anymore, Valentine's Day has become more of a romantic celebration."

"Ah...So it ish a day of love?"

"_Oui_!" Answered Charlotte "So, have someone special in mind?"

"Ah...Vell..." Laura didn't have an answer, she didn't even think of Valentine's Day until now.

Charlotte giggled.

"Hey, Char!" Called Ichika, "Happy Valentine's Day!"

Ichika walked casually up to Charlotte and Laura, bright as ever.

"Happy Valentine's Day to you too!" Returned Charlotte, "Say, where's Thomas? You two have been even more inseparable than ever since you fused together."

"Thomas's kinda busy, all the guys are today," Said Ichika, "It's...Kinda unnerving."

"Oh?"

"Yeah..." Said Ichika, "See...The thing is...Thomas predicted something's gonna happen today, and he's rarely wrong on that sort of thing."

"Ah...Well, for now, let's enjoy the festivities, together!"

Charlotte wrapped an arm around Ichika's.

She made away with Ichika like a bandit.

Whereas Ichika had found occupation, the other boys were soon to follow.

"T-Thomas!" Called Nana, nervously trembling, "Here! Take this!"

She shoved a box of chocolate into Thomas's hands.

_"Yosh!"_ Thought Thomas, "Th-Thank you!"

Both Nana and Thomas, though they seemed very anxious and uneasy, were enjoying the situation greatly. They were indeed nervous, blushing as they were near each other, but it was pure bliss to them.

Elias had a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates, but found himself too fearful to set foot outside his room. He was currently on his bed, curled in a ball, breathing deeply in and out as he tried to work up the courage to venture out the door.

Cecelia was on the case as she stalked the halls in desperate search of Elias, but could find no trace nor witness of the boy.

"Oh dear..." Cecilia mumbled, "Where might he be? Is he too frightened of the responsibility today?"

Elias had gone from praising Cecelia like a goddess, all the way to being too anxious to set foot near her. It wasn't that she chased him off, despite the fact she was arrogant at times. It was due to Elias not being to able keep a handle of his...Instincts around Cecelia.

There were several awkward "mishaps" the two had shared.

If only Elias would find the confidence to feel bold around her.

Tyrone was walking to his locker, realizing he'd left his phone within.

The boy unlocked his locker...

...And quickly jumped out of the way as a massive torrent of Valentines of all kinds exploded from the confines of his locker.

"What the...?" Tyrone stared at the field of red, pink, and white that lay before him.

There were cards, love letters, boxes of chocolate, a few trinkets, even a teddy bear or two amassed together in the piles of Valentines gifts. Tyrone gulped. Sure, what guy wouldn't like this? But actually going through it was quite intimidating, to say the least.

Tyrone really played himself this time.

Unlike the other boys, there wasn't any girl in the IS Academy Tyrone was particularly close with. All he could do was sit on the sidelines and watch the other 3 guys get all lovey-dovey with their love interests.

Why did they have it easy?

Suddenly, Tyrone heard a woman snickering from around a set of lockers.

"H-Hello?" Tyrone said, walking around the lockers to see whom, "I didn't think anyone else was in here-Oh what the fuck?"

Tyrone was now gazing at a very energetic young woman wearing a pair of mechanical bunny ears and a blue maid outfit. She was snickering and giggling like she'd just told herself a funny joke.

Tyrone had been instructed by Thomas and Ichika to fear the very sight.

They'd also said something about "Evil bunny lady," But Tyrone didn't think they were actually serious.

They never did explain why he should avoid said bunny lady...

"Is there...Something you need?" Tyrone said, anxiety slowly taking grip.

"Oh! There you are! I was waiting for one of you cutie-boys to show!" The bunny lady cheered, "Say~! When'd you show up? More than that, how're you able to pilot an IS? I guess I'll just have to wait and see!"

"Uh...Thanks?"

"Oh, by the way!" The bunny lady continued, "You might wanna group up with your buddy-boys, the fun's about to start!"

"Excuse me?"

"Think fast~!"

Tyrone suddenly heard a loud crash from the entrance of the locker rooms. He quickly turned around towards the sound, and glanced back to the woman, only to find that she disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"What the crap?" Tyrone muttered to himself.

Tyrone went to the source of the disturbance, only to find a massive group of girls beginning to amass before him.

"Is...Is everyone okay?" Tyrone inquired, "I mean, there's some occult-stuff goin' on...Everyone good?"

"THERE HE IS!" One girl cheered.

"It's one of the boys! Quick! Don't let him go~!"

Tyrone flinched.

He didn't know how, he didn't know why, but he felt that he was now in danger.

Tyrone did as Thomas and Ichika told him, and run in the opposite direction of the crowd. Whereas Tyrone felt envious and jealous of his male peers, he suddenly found that he was so thankful they were here with him.

"Quick! Catch him!"

"Let's make a Happy Valentine's Day together~!"

Now how was he gonna find a way out of this one?

* * *

_Some time later..._

"Is everybody ready?" called Tatenashi.

"Yes Ma'am!" The student body boomed.

Thomas felt a chill go down his spine. Ichika gulped, wary of anything Tatenashi did with a smile. Elias was still in his room, curled into a ball as he tried to steel his nerves. Tyrone was nowhere to be found.

They were already two men down.

Tatenashi grinned from ear to ear as she caught up to Thomas and Ichika in a risque nurse outfit.

"Hey boys~!" She giggled, "Where's the other two?"

"Elias is lying down, Tyrone is...We're trying to find him." Said Ichika.

"I'm sure they're fine!" Tatenashi assured, "Besides, we've got some more important things for you! The less the merrier!"

"Don't you mean the more the-!"

"I know what I said! You two are the most experienced in the IS Academy, so you'll be fine!"

"Oh piss..." Groaned Thomas.

"What? What's going on?" Said Ichika.

"Today's Valentine's Day is extra-special!" Cheered Tatenashi, "To celebrate, we're going to have an extra-special event! Y'see, Valentine's Day is a day where girls get the most romantic excuse to get together with boys! However..."

Ichika gulped.

"There's only 4 boys the same age on this entire island." Said Tatenashi, "On top of that, there's an incalculable number of girl students all over the island."

"Oh..." Ichika realized.

"We've run this routine before! But now..." Tatenashi grew a mischievous grin, "Here, today, is a one-time event for the Student Body! I call it, 'The Hunt of Love: IS Academy She-Wolf Race!'"

"That's a stupid name." Said Thomas.

"The rules are simple!" Explained Tatenashi, "All the boys have to do is not get caught! The girls are on the prowl! Oh! I clean forgot..."

"What? What now?!" Cried Ichika.

"The event started five minutes ago!" Tatenashi clapped her hands, and pulled out her fan.

"May the odds be in your favor! Girls who catch a boy get to spend the entire rest of the day with them!"

She flapped open the fan, which read, _"The Hunt is on!"_

Sure enough, a stampede of girls began to flock down the hallway...

...With Tyrone barely keeping ahead of the group.

"He's in trouble!" Ichika noted.

"Quick! Let's get him outta there and pick up Elias!" Said Thomas.

"Right!"

Tyrone screamed as he run as fast as his legs would carry.

"I should've gone left!" He cried.

Tyrone was relieved when he saw Ichika and Thomas catching up and running alongside him.

"Kept you waiting eh?" Grinned Thomas.

"Wait!" Said Tyrone, "We have IS Units! Why don't we just take 'em down?"

"You know the rules!" Said Ichika, "It's sorta illegal to use your IS for personal reasons! So we can't just lay the smack!"

"We can still fly!"

"It's more fun this way!" Said Thomas.

Ichika and Tyrone both stared at Thomas.

"What?" The two boys said in unison.

"Come on! Chop-chop! We still got the girls behind us!"

The boys ran and ran, with little end in sight. Soon enough, they were around near the dorm building, trying to locate any one of their rooms' balconies in the hopes they could find a safe haven.

"Now," Said Thomas, "As I was saying, we may not be able to fight with an IS, but we can still move around with one."

"Really?"

"Follow my lead!"

Thomas deployed the Revive's legs, and launched into the air as he snatched the railing of a balcony of the third floor.

"That's the third floor!" Gawked Tyrone, "Teach me your ways!"

"We just use partial deployments with our units," Explained Ichika, "Kinda-!"

Ichika launched with the Byakushiki legs, and climbed onto the balcony with Thomas.

"-Like this!"

"Lemme try!" Said Tyrone.

Tyrone attempted to deploy Subwoofer's legs, only to end up deploying the entire IS.

"That's not what was supposed to happen." Said Tyrone.

"Try again! We can't risk you climbing up and pulling the balcony railing out!"

"Right!"

Tyrone recalled Subwoofer, and tried again. Much like the first attempt, Tyrone ended up deploying the entire IS Unit rather than just individual parts. Tyrone began to panic, they didn't have very long before the girls caught up.

"Crap crap crap!" Cried Tyrone.

"H-Hang on!" Said Ichika, "We can pull you up!"

Ichika deployed the Byakushiki's left arm, and Thomas deployed both of the Revive's arms. Thomas jumped over the railing, and grabbed Ichika's IS glove, and extended his free arm down to Tyrone.

Tyrone deployed the Subwoofer, and took hold of Thomas, recalling the IS to lighten the lift.

The boys had all gotten onto the balcony.

"You never got much practice with the deployment, did you?" Said Thomas.

"N-No..." Said Tyrone, "Not really."

"We can all get together and practice that stuff when this is over." Said Thomas.

"It'd help us with team-building." Noted Ichika.

"Right then." Said Thomas, "Anyone know who's room this is?"

"No...Why?"

"We gotta find Elias's. Who knows if he actually had the balls to go out today?"

"You mean he's still really anxious about Cecelia?"

"Seriously, that whole shy-guy act is so stale..."

"It's not like he can help it..."

"Even so," Continued Thomas, "Adorable as it is to watch, Elias really needs to learn to grow up and take something he wants while he still has the chance. Sure, Cecelia and Elias being good buddies from way back helps a little, but I bet it's pure luck Elias landed in the ISA only to find Cecelia again."

"Kinda jealous of him." Said Tyrone, "Just sayin'. You guys all got it good."

Thomas chuckled.

"You make it sound so easy."

"Huh?"

"Sure, we all have girls that we're close to from before we all came here...But, just because you have the chance to pursue that romance, doesn't mean you should or feel capable of doing so."

"Ah..."

"That said, there's a limit on how much I stick a cap on that stuff. A good relationship needs time to cultivate and grow, partly why I'm not moving too quickly to jump all the bases just yet."

"So..." Tyrone started, "What you're saying is...?"

"...Take it slow." Finished Thomas, "Pacing is the most vital part of any healthy relationship."

"...Got it."

"Now that we got the awkward stuff out of the way," Reminded Ichika, "We need to find Elias."

"Who's room is this anyway?"

Thomas looked into the room, only to realize it wasn't the one they were looking for.

"I vote we break in." Said Thomas.

"What? No!" Protested Ichika.

"Oh shoot!" Realized Thomas, "I forgot to get Nana's Valentine's day gift from our room! We need to get that asap!"

"Ugh, fine. As much as I wanted us to stick together..." Said Ichika, "Go to our room, get the thing, me and Tyrone are gonna go find Elias. We meet up at Elias's room to plan our next move and try to wait this out."

"Roger!"

Thomas quickly began to jump from balcony to balcony.

"Is that safe?" Said Tyrone.

"Nope." Said Ichika.

Ichika turned in the opposite direction.

"C'mon!" Said Ichika, "Let's find Elias!"

"Yeah!"

Ichika went from balcony to balcony, pausing each time to make sure Tyrone didn't fall. Each time the boys made it to another balcony, they quickly peeked inside the room to see who's it was.

After what seemed like forever, Tyrone and Ichika found Elias, curled up in a ball on his bed.

"I can do this..." Elias whispered, "I can do this..."

Ichika knocked on the sliding glass door.

"Aah!" Elias fell right out of bed, shocked by the unexpected visit.

Elias quickly got up, and blushed with humiliation as he dusted himself off. He looked to find Ichika and Tyrone waiting for him at the door. The one saving grace was that Thomas wasn't among them.

Thomas would've never let Elias live that down.

Elias opened the door.

"What're you doing out there?" He inquired.

"Tatenashi decided to play matchmaker without our permission, again." Said Ichika.

"This isn't the first time?!" Cried Tyrone.

"You should've seen the Halloween fiasco..." Said Ichika.

"Do I want to know?"

"No!" Stammered Elias.

Suddenly, Thomas thudded onto one knee on the balcony.

"Gentlemen." He greeted.

"Did you get it?" Said Ichika.

Thomas raised a wrapped up gift.

"Good." Said Ichika, "So...What now?"

"Sit until the storm blows over?" Suggested Tyrone.

"Oh dear..." Said Elias, "I must find Cecelia!"

"No-can-do." Said Thomas, "Maybe whenever this little game of Tatenashi's is over, but not right now."

"Oh dear...I was trying to work up the courage and do this..."

"You gave her a present back at Christmas, what's so hard about this?"

"That was Christmas!" Cried Elias, "This is Valentine's! There's a complete difference!"

Thomas shot Tyrone a glance, as if to say, _"This is ridiculous."_

"Anyway," Said Thomas, "We should be on our toes, the girls are bound figure out where we are, so we need to be ready to book it at the drop of a hat. I'll say this much-at least we've got something we're used to doing today."

The boys all sighed.

"Anyone have-well, had-anything planned?" Inquired Thomas.

"Dunno...I had a few valentines for Lingyin, Char, and Laura..."

"What about Houki?"

"U-Uh..." Ichika blushed.

Thomas smirked.

He had Ichika all figured out.

"Well well," Said Tyrone, "Looks like Ichika's got a crush~!"

"N-No! It's not..." Ichika faltered, knowing the boys were right.

"I know you got too many girls on you," Said Thomas, "But you need to give them a sign. It's not healthy, or a remotely good idea to just keep leading everyone on. It doesn't have to be outright, just a sign."

"But...The other girls will get so mad!"

"Maybe so, but waiting on an answer you're procrastinating on giving isn't going to help."

"You're right..."

Suddenly, the boys heard a knock on the room's door.

They all froze.

Is anyone in there?" A girl's voice called from the other side of the door.

It was then the boys understood they were in great danger. The girls had already worked out that they were hiding in their dorm rooms. Although the boys could claim the girls weren't allowed entry, the flimsy rule of privacy wasn't going to hold up in this chase.

Thomas signaled the boys to head for the balcony, and got up to check the peephole.

"I don't hear anything..." The girl said.

The boys all had their eyes trained on the door as they moved slowly.

"Maybe they're in one of the other rooms!" Said another girl.

Thomas quietly made his way to the door, and looked out the peephole.

That was a _lot_ of girls.

Thomas turned back to the other boys, and signaled them to flee.

The boys turned and broke into running...

...Only to have Elias trip, and make a thud and grunt as he fell.

"Oof!" He grunted.

"Someone's in there!" The girls boomed.

"Shit!" Thomas shouted as he ran to help Elias.

"Get the door open!"

"Fuck fuck fuck!" Cried Thomas as he practically picked Elias up and threw him.

The boys ended up separated.

Tyrone and Ichika jumped onto another balcony, Thomas carried Elias as he deployed the Revive and flew down. The boys each took off running as the girls burst into Elias's room, realizing they'd gone out the balcony.

"Darn!"

"They're so quick!"

"We have to find the others!" Said Ichika.

"I think we should worry about ourselves first!" Said Tyrone.

"Face forward Elias!" Said Thomas, "And fucking run!"

"But-!"

"They'll be fine!"

"I hope your right..."

The girls were unhinged this time around. They'd begun setting up all kinds of traps and tricks in their attempts to catch the boys for themselves. It was only a matter of time before the Representative Candidates give up and use force in the form of their IS Units.

Oddly enough, Thomas had expected them to do so already.

Tyrone and Ichika jumped from balcony to balcony until they safely made their way down to the ground.

"That was close, you okay?" Said Ichika.

"Y-Yeah...Just...Woo..." Tyrone was simply stunned.

"You'll get used to it. At least we're getting daily cardio!" Ichika tried to cheer Tyrone up.

"Oh yeah..." Tyrone panted sarcastically, "'Cause that's _so_ helpful..."

"Let's go find the others when you're feeling up to it."

"Yeah..."

Thomas was practically pulling Elias along as the boys ran for it.

"I'd expect Cecelia to be leading the charge..." Said Elias.

"I think it's better if she didn't." Said Thomas, "You'd just chicken out and give up so you can spend the day with her."

"Is that so wrong?!"

"Might just be me, but I've never lost a race!" Said Thomas, "Not even virginity!"

"Hey!" Snapped Elias, pointing to himself, "Victim. Sore subject!"

"At least you have both parents!" Said Thomas, "Now hurry it up!"

The boys rounded a corner...

...Only to find Cecelia, towering over them in Blue Tears.

"Welp." Said Thomas, "We're fucked."

"Surrender, Elias!" Ordered Cecelia, "You won't deny me on this day of romance!"

Elias opened his mouth to speak, but Thomas quickly stopped him.

"Think about your options." Said the American boy.

"I did." Said Elias, "And that's why I'm doing this! I don't want this silly game to go on like Halloween! If I'm to fall in love with Cecelia, I want it to be on rational terms! I can't afford to let this pass up!"

"...Your funeral." Said Thomas.

Elias nodded, and turned back to Cecelia.

"Cecelia!" Elias declared, fighting to hold back the smile on his face, "I surrender!"

Cecelia flinched, obviously not expecting Elias to be so eager for her to catch him.

"That's...Quite refreshing." She said to herself.

Cecelia descended, and recalled her IS.

Elias stepped forward, letting Cecelia claim her prize.

"Elias Dansforth," Cecelia announced, "From this moment, until the end of today, you are mine! You will not refuse, at all!"

"I accept wholeheartedly!" Elias responded.

Cecelia blushed, a happy smile on her face.

Valentine's day had just gotten a lot happier for her.

"Hooray!" Cecelia cheered as she wrapped around Elias with a bear hug.

Cecelia had a great deal of plans for activities for her and Elias on their Valentine's day. There was simply so much to do, and so little time left! They had to get started right away, and no interruptions!

Elias blushed furiously as Cecelia's bosom rippled against his body.

In that moment, Thomas turned tail and ran off before any girls came onto the scene.

As Thomas was out of sight, he could hear an announcement.

"_Elias Dansforth! Caught! Loser!_"

Thomas skidded to a stop.

This was being broadcasted?!

* * *

"You hear that Ichika?!" Said Tyrone.

"Yeah. How'd Elias get caught?" Said Ichika.

"I guess he just wanted to be with Cecelia."

"Lucky him!"

"Y'know, getting caught by your love interest isn't all that bad..."

"It's not that..." Started Ichika.

Suddenly, a black object began to descend from the sky above Ichika and Tyrone.

"...It's everyone else I'm worried about!"

With a loud crash and a crater in the pavement of the walkway, Laura emerged in the Schwarzer Regen.

"Oh fuck!" Cried Tyrone.

"Language!" Called Ichika.

"ICHIKA!" Roared Laura, "YOU ARE MINE!"

"Okay, run!" Ichika cried, turning tail and running.

Without warning, an all-too-familiar Polearm sunk right into the ground in front of the boys.

"IIIIIICHKA!" Shouted Lingyin.

"Aw crap!" Cried Ichika.

Lingyin's Shenlong landed right in front of them.

"You can't get away this time!" She sneered.

"Aw man..." Groaned Ichika.

"HOLD IT!" Houki charged in with the Akatsubaki, "He's _mine_!"

"Aaand here we go..." Groaned Ichika, knowing full well what was to follow.

Suddenly, Charlotte jumped into the fray.

"He's mine! _En garde_!"

The girls began a four-way brawl right there on the IS Academy campus. They no longer cared for collateral damage as they engaged in close-quarters combat with melee weapons. They'd have a little bit of time before someone came to stop them.

This was their fight for the ultimate prize.

"Should we stop 'em?" said Tyrone.

"It's far easier to run and wait 'till they burn themselves out, c'mon." Said Ichika.

"Hey...Ichika?"

"Yeah?"

"Um...Remember the Evil Bunny Lady you told me to avoid?"

Ichika quickly figured out Tyrone's next statement.

"You found her, didn't you?"

"More like the other way around, but yeah, something like that."

"It's not your fault, she's just...Bored. I guess."

"Bored?"

"Being a super-genius can really do that to people, I think. Maybe she's just so bored and she's trying to make some buzz so she can feel entertained. She's usually acting on whatever whim takes her."

"Oh..."

"We'll take about when we get somewhere safe."

Ichika looked back at the girls one last time.

They'd completely forgotten about the boys.

"Hopeless." Ichika muttered as he continued on his way.

* * *

Meanwhile, Thomas was still on the run.

He ended up running into several of the students' traps along his way.

"He's heading down the path! Seduction team, engage!"

Suddenly, a group of girls were in the path ahead of Thomas, all of them striking sensual poses in the hopes they could catch him off guard. Thomas was running right at them as they prepared to distract him with their feminine wiles.

"Heya boy~! Like what you see~?" Said one girl.

Thomas rushed faster.

"Uh...He's not stopping..."

"Trust me, this'll totally work."

Suddenly, Thomas jumped right over the girls like they were a hurdle.

"You fools!" Thomas declared, "I've fought naked chicks with my own two fists!"

"Wha?!"

"It didn't work!"

"Drat!"

Thomas chuckled as he ran off.

"THOMAS!" An all-too-familiar voice boomed.

"Ah..." Thomas turned around, only to find Nana bolting right at him.

"AH..."

Nana was now within grabbing distance.

"AAAAAH!" Thomas booked it at top speed, narrowly evading Nana.

"Just stop running already!" Said Nana, "It's okay to lose this time!"

"I NEVER LOOOOSE!" Thomas charged at full-force as Nana lost her speed on Thomas.

"Dammit!" Nana whined.

How was Thomas still able to push at top speed? It was inhuman!

"But why?!" Cried Nana, "It's Valentine's day..."

Nana pouted, and seemed ready to cry.

Thomas turned back, and felt his heart stop.

"That's not fair!" He cried.

"I-I just wanted to spend some time with you today..." Nana sniffled, "Am I not enough? Do you not like me?"

Thomas felt so cheated at that moment.

He needed to make her stop crying, but he didn't want to get caught!

What to do? What to do?

He could easily just book it...But was it worth it?

It was then that Thomas got an idea.

Thomas turned to Nana, and ran back to her.

_"Yes!"_ Thought Nana, _"It worked!"_

Nana spread her arms wide as she awaited Thomas's embrace.

Except...

Instead of running into her arms, Thomas shoved an object into her hands instead.

He then began to run away once again.

"Huh?!" Nana was dumbstruck her plan didn't work.

Thomas said nothing as he forced himself onward.

Nana looked down to find Thomas had dumped a wrapped-up gift into her possession. The gift was poorly wrapped, and was stitched together with tape all over. Nana could see Thomas at least tried to make the gift presentable.

At least it was made with love, right?

Whatever the case, Thomas felt he'd made a compromise to his dilemma.

Nana looked back to Thomas, and then back to the present.

Might as well...

Nana clawed the wrapping, and opened the gift up.

She gasped as she bore witness to what was inside.

It was a folded up scarf, a rose, and a card.

Nana pulled out the scarf, and let it unfold as she held it up to examine it. It was covered in hearts, and looked quite warm and fluffy. Nana then picked up the rose, mindful of the flower's thorns.

It smelled lovely.

Nana finally picked up the card, and opened it.

She couldn't help but blush upon reading the contents inside.

_"I'm not very good at talking about this out loud."_ Read the card, _"But...Writing it down somewhere's always a surefire way to make my point, right? Anyway...It's pretty obvious we both...Like-like each other. I know it's cheesy as hell, but will you be mine?"_

_Nana felt her heart skip a beat, and blushed._

It certainly wasn't poetry, but Nana felt it was a masterpiece.

She was so going to keep the card...

* * *

_Later that day..._

After a few hours, Tatenashi declared that "The Hunt of Love: IS Academy She-Wolf Race" was over.

Chifuyu punished the girls involved with making a huge fight on the campus, and consigned them to be the ones to spend the day cleaning up the mess they'd made. The bright side was that Houki, Lingyin, Charlotte, and Laura were getting better at repairing and construction.

Ichika felt guilty about not helping them.

And for the rest of the day, Elias and Cecelia went out on their first date.

Many girls were disappointed they weren't able to get Elias first.

Thomas eventually found Cecelia and Elias enjoying a Valentine's Day meal together. Cecelia blushed as she cuddled with Elias, a smile on her face. Elias looked stiff beyond belief, and somehow managed to turn a new shade of red that no human being could possibly achieve.

At least Elias was getting closer and closer to first base.

Once the game was over, Thomas had eventually relocated Nana, and spent the day with her.

And thus, Thomas and Nana were dating in all but name.

Though Thomas had a very anxious heart a lot of the time, he never felt happier. Ichika teased him endlessly when Thomas came back to his room, but Thomas quickly turned the tables on Ichika over his valentine for Houki.

Chifuyu ended up receiving a mountain of valentines from both staff and students, the majority of them being from her avid cult-like following from her career as an IS Pilot. Alex tried cheering Chifuyu up with beer, which mostly worked.

Thomas and Ichika eventually gave Chifuyu obligatory valentines, only to receive a hug from the woman as she drank herself silly, as she sobbed hysterically under the intoxication, leaving tear stains on both boys' shirts.

Right around dusk, the girls finished their task, and set up caution signs.

Houki went back to her room, and collapsed on her bed.

She hadn't found Ichika, and was unable to give him a valentine.

Just then, Houki heard a knock on her door.

"Hello?" Houki groaned, exhausted.

"Hey, Houki?" Ichika called, "Are you in?"

"I-Ichika?" Said Houki, "Yes! I'm here!"

"Can I...Come in?"

"Of course!"

Ichika entered, something stashed behind his back.

"Is there...S-Something you wanted?" Inquired Houki, blushing as her mind beginning to jump to conclusions.

"W-Well...You got into a fight and everything...And then you had to clean up..."

Houki was internally screaming with joy.

This was really happening!

"Anyway, sorry for coming so late." Ichika continued, blushing a little, "Things got kinda hectic. So..."

Ichika held out a valentines gift.

"Here! I wanted you to have this."

Houki gasped, wide-eyed as her wildest fantasy played out right before her.

Instead of doing anything else, Houki rushed at Ichika and locked him in a powerful bear hug.

"You big softie!"

Little did Houki know, however, Ichika had already gone and done the same thing to the other girls in his little harem. Ichika decided to save the best for last, and made sure the other girls were happy before moving on.

Just let her have this one Ichika...

"Oh...I have something for you too!" Houki remembered.

"Really?"

Houki then placed a heart-shaped box in Ichika's hand.

It was a classic, never-failing item.

The ever-safe-to-use box of chocolates.

"H-Happy Valentine's!" Said Houki, blushing.

She really wasn't used to this.

"You too!"

Ichika quickly rushed off, and left Houki to open her valentine.

Houki gasped a little as she opened up the gift.

It was a few roses, and a new ribbon for her hair.

Houki felt her heart skip a beat.

Ichika got this...For her?

Ichika was walking down the hall.

Out of nowhere, he heard Houki make a thunderous boom of happiness.

"Sounds like Houki liked it." He said to himself, walking back to his room with a pep in his step.

He rounded the corner...

...Only to bump into a girl who was walking right into him.

"Oh! Sorry!" Ichika apologized.

"It's fine-Hey, you're one of the boys!" Said the girl.

"Y-Yeah..." Ichika knew where this was going.

"Do you...Know Thomas Scott?" She whispered.

"Oh...Yeah. He's my roommate, actually."

"Really?! A friend of mine wanted to give him a valentine, but she couldn't come..." The girl pulled out a gift-wrapped object, "Can you give this to him for me? She'd really appreciate it."

"Sure! Why not?" Said Ichika, taking the object.

"Thank you!" Said the girl cheerfully.

Ichika walked off to his room, but stopped.

"Hey," Ichika called, "What's your name?"

"Me?" Said the girl, "I'm Daryl Casey!"

"Okay, have a happy Valentine's Day Daryl!"

"Same to you!"

The two parted ways.

Ichika quickly reached his room.

"Hey Thomas!" Ichika greeted, "You got fan-mail!"

"What?" Inquired Thomas.

"A girl wanted me to give this to you." Ichika said, handing the gift to Thomas.

"Drop a thanks for me when you see her next." Said Thomas, "What was her name?"

"Daryl Casey."

"Hm. Dunno her...Probably just some fangirl."

"I guess!"

"So...I take it that's from Houki?" Said Thomas, pointing to the box in Ichika's arm.

"Oh! Uh...Y-Yeah..."

"Lemme see!"

"Hey! No peeking!"

The boys shared the items they'd received, and laughed into the night with good fun.

Nothing else mattered to them at the time.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

"_Kana?_" Daryl spoke over the phone, "_Package delivered._"

"_Really?!_" Piped up Kana on the other end, "_Did you see his face?_"

"No...I had to give it to his roommate."

"_Aw, boo! I worked so hard on it! I wanted to see how he liked it!_"

"It's fine. I'm thinking he doesn't know any better anyway."

"_I guess...The poor thing!_"

"What now?"

"_I just wanna whisk him away from that awful place!_" Cooed Kana.

"Okay...You're having withdrawal, aren't you?"

"_YES!_" Cried Kana, "_I haven't been near Tommy in so long! I think I'm gonna die!_"

"Chill out, you take photos of him for whatever freaky reason, brocon...Is Auntie there with you?"

"_Mm! Mama Squall's been waiting for you! I'll give her the phone!_"

"_Daryl?_"

"Hi Auntie! Happy Valentine's Day!"

"_Same to you, my favorite niece._"

"How are things on your end?"

"_The same. Madoka's being stubborn and Kana's a handful, but that's their charm._"

"_I'm not stubborn!_" Madoka shouted over the phone.

"_The operation's almost ready to be underway. Is Thomas acting normally?_"

"Doesn't know any better."

"_Perfect. It won't be long until he's finally ours. Keep monitoring him until we commence the operation. He's quite vital to Phantom Task's research, with his unique physiology. We'll need him intact for the experiment to work, especially now that we have our first test-subject._"

"I understand."

"Daryl!" Called Forte Sapphire, "Come back to bed!"

"I gotta go, later Auntie!"

"_Sleep tight, Daryl!_"

Daryl ended the call and made her way over to Forte.

"Cuddle!" Ordered Forte.

Daryl chuckled as she climbed in bed.

"Hopeless..." Daryl mumbled as she embraced Forte.

It wouldn't be too long now.

Daryl hoped Thomas was having fun.

He certainly wasn't when Phantom Task made its move.

And that wasn't going to be very long...

* * *

**A/N: At last! Sorry for the slow chapter releases, I've been suffering from writer's block. I hope you enjoyed the chapter though.**

**It took me so long, but I finally had the chance to bring Daryl and Forte into the fold!**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**Now, don't take this the wrong way, but I've decided to finally take a little break on writing American Idiot. Although I know what I'm doing, with future arcs and everything, I just don't know what to do next.**

**It may be a short break, it may take forever, I don't know.**

**But until I know what to do next, American Idiot has been paused.**

**Sorry I don't have much to say this time.**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	40. The Price for Failure

**We've reached 40 Chapters! I can hardly believe it! Thanks to everyone who showed some support while I was stuck with writer's block, it's really good to know there really are people that care! But I'm back and feeling better than ever! I'll try to get back to routine, hope your all doing well!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**With all that's happened over the years, Thomas never expected to uncover so many secrets of his mysterious life in the IS Academy.**

**But he's about to find more answers by leaving it.**

**On a day-trip to the mainland, things go horribly awry! Phantom Task is lurking about, and they've got Thomas in their cross-hairs! Can Thomas find a way to call for help? Or is he going to have to fend for himself?**

**Whatever the case, this is one encounter he can't walk away from.**

* * *

It was a bright and sunny day on the IS Academy.

The air was warm, the grass was soft, and everything felt wonderful. It was the perfect day, as it was the weekend. The students of the IS Academy were leaving the school in droves for the mainland, eager for a relaxing day off.

Our heroes were no exception.

Elias and Cecelia were off on their own as they went about for the classy and finer parts of the city. Tyrone and Kanzashi, meeting prior to that morning, were currently having a day-long anime marathon.

Ichika and Thomas were out with the rest of the girls, mainly chaperoning everyone due to the size of their group. They were once again in a group outing due to none of the girls wanting to let the others get ahead of them in trying to romance Ichika.

"Let's go to the arcade again!" Suggested Charlotte, "Laura wants another stuffed animal!"

"_Nein_! Zhat ish not true!" Laura denied, blushing with embarrassment.

"Sure!" Ichika said.

"Vell...Maybe just _eins_..."

"Then we're off for the arcade!" Ichika marched on.

"Tommy?" Said Nana, "Can I get a stuffed animal too?"

Thomas knew Nana was just looking for an excuse to play with Thomas. Sure, they had something of a small date after the big event on Valentine's Day, but they still weren't in an official relationship.

Thomas resolved to finally pop the question this very day.

If only he could find the right time to...

The group had reached the arcade, and began to pair up as they broke off to begin playing games. Laura and Charlotte went to the crane game to acquire more plushies and stuffed animals. Nana managed to persuade Houki and Lingyin to join her, leaving Ichika and Thomas to themselves.

Ichika and Thomas went to a food court next to the arcade, discussing topics of males would understand. Thomas and Ichika sat and talked, and the girls played in the arcade as time went by. Sure, it seemed strange that Ichika and Thomas weren't joining in. However, Thomas pulled Ichika aside for their very secretive conversation.

"You sure about this?" Said Ichika, "I mean, aren't you worried you're rushing things?"

"I know." Said Thomas, "But I missed out once, I can't let this opportunity go to waste."

"Only if you're absolutely sure," Said Ichika, "Whatever happens, I'm here for you."

"...Thanks." Said Thomas.

"Wonder how Chifuyu's gonna react..." Muttered Ichika.

"She's probably gonna be really rough on Nana."

"Knowing her, probably."

"Ichika?"

"Yeah?"

"D-Do you...Think this is gonna work?"

Ichika smiled, and placed his hand on Thomas's shoulder.

"Knowing you," Ichika chuckled, "The worst that'll happen is you wet yourself right when you say it."

"Sh-Shut up!" Thomas blushed, "I've...Never had experience with...Talking to girls like that."

"Pfft!" Ichika laughed, "The ultimate prodigy is out of his depth?"

"Fuck you!"

Ichika had a very good laugh.

"Well," Thomas smirked, "How's things with Houki?"

Thomas almost shouted the sentence, Ichika froze.

"Sssh! Not so loud! Jesus..." Ichika grumbled, his cheeks turning red.

"Gotcha." Thomas grinned, turning the tables on Ichika.

Ichika sighed, Thomas had him good.

The boys sat in silence as they tried to think of other topics to discuss.

"Hey Ichika?" Inquired Thomas, "Does shrimp count as meat?"

"What d'you mean?" Said Ichika, "Of course it-Oh my God..."

The boys began to realize they'd never actually thought about such a matter before. Was shrimp regarded as meat? Or was it its own kind of thing? It'd be so easy to say it counted, but did it really? Was it like fish, in that it was probably light meat?

Meanwhile, Nana and the girls were beginning to wonder what the boys were talking about.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Pondered Houki.

"Maybe they're talking about tag-team attacks..." Said Nana.

"I say they're talking about something like current events." Said Lingyin.

"Perhaps they're discussing more events with the other boys." Proposed Charlotte.

"I have been told be Clarissa zhat vhat boys speak of in private ish never meant to be determined." Said Laura.

Meanwhile, Ichika and Thomas...

"I'm just saying!" Said Ichika, "Shrimp might count as meat, I can't disclaim that!"

"But that raises the issue of if fish counts as meat! Hell, does lobster count?"

"I don't know!"

...Were discussing very strange conundrums.

"I think it counts..."

"Should we consult the internet?"

"No man, we're grown, capable young men! We can figure this out ourselves!"

"I'd assume it's considered meat...But the thing is that most people never actually think about that stuff!"

"Darn people! Never asking the relevant questions!"

"I say meat!"

"I say we can't discount it as otherwise!"

"Gaah! We can't get anywhere!"

"Dammit!"

"Should we ask the girls?" Suggested Ichika.

"Oh naw!" Said Thomas, "That'd be a right laugh for them!"

"True..."

As the boys were conversing with each other, they failed to notice a figure observing them from afar. She wore a pair of shades, and a fashionable gray trench coat with a matching hat, with luxurious blonde hair.

She eyed the boys, making a sly smile.

It was time.

"-And then he turned himself into a pickle!" Laughed Thomas, "Funniest shit I've ever seen!"

"Really?!" Ichika boomed with laughter, "Western cartoons can be so hilarious!"

"I know?! And people use that to push stupid agendas and nonsense!"

"That's so dumb! Why not just make a good show, and leave the agenda for something else that could use it!"

"That'll be the day!"

Ichika and Thomas then had a long time to laugh things out.

"Alright then," Said Ichika, "I'm gonna check on the girls real quick, be back soon!"

Thomas now sat by himself.

He looked around himself, surveying the shoppers at the mall as he waited for Ichika to come back. Everyone was bustling about their own business, whether it be to unwind to enjoy the weekend, or to stock up for the coming week.

All seemed normal.

That is, until...

Thomas noticed a woman with blonde curly hair walking nearby. Her right arm was limp, her height and figure were quite familiar to Thomas. Her hairstyle was awfully familiar. The way she moved was something Thomas had seen before.

No doubt...It was none other than Squall trying to get his attention.

As if on cue, Squall glanced back with a sly smirk at Thomas.

What should he do? Were something to go wrong, there'd be a brawl right in the center of the mall with too many people to count in harm's way. If he went to go get the others, however, there was no telling what Squall would do.

How? How did she know? Was she surveying him?

No, that wouldn't make sense...There was an insider, but who?

If he went to get Ichika, Squall would either vanish, or cause a scene.

What to do? What to do?

Squall gave what looked to be a single huff in mockery at Thomas, and continued on her way.

Thomas did the only thing he could think of...A very horrible idea it was.

Thomas pulled out a pen and swiped a napkin, quickly scribbling a message down for Ichika once he returned. He then placed the napkin down on the table began to tail Squall, obviously knowing Squall knew what he was doing.

Sure, it was the absolute worst idea imaginable, and it was most likely not going to work...But if the worst came, Thomas could still text Ichika in the moment to signal for help if he got in too over his head.

Right now, he was tailing Squall, he'd call for help at the slightest sign of a problem.

This was a good plan, right?

* * *

Meanwhile, Ichika had no idea of the situation they were in.

"Ichika!" called Lingyin, "Check it! The _Gundam Kizuna_ pods are open!"

"Oh! Let's go play!"

"Hold it right there!" Said Houki, "I-I'd...Like to...Challenge you to a one-on-one battle in_ Gundam Kizuna_, Ichika!"

"Huh? Okay then..."

"I vould like to play zhis game as vell!" Laura piped up.

"But of course!" Charlotte chuckled, throwing her hand into the lot as well.

"A-Ah...Okay then..Ah, well..." Ichika was already overwhelmed.

"Hey! I know!" Suggested Nana, "Let's have a Gundam Kizuna tournament! Ichika, go get Tommy and I'll set things up!"

"Sure thing!" Ichika happily agreed.

Nana gave Ichika a knowing look, and winked. She was a really good friend.

Thomas definitely found a keeper.

The young boy remembered how Thomas told him of his vow to finally confess his feelings to Nana sometime today. Thomas hadn't specified when or where he'd pull Nana aside to confess, but he promised it would be today.

Ichika left the arcade to get Thomas...

...Only to find Thomas was nowhere in sight.

Ichika looked left and right, the table he and Thomas shared at the food court was empty, save for some napkin Thomas probably left. There was no trace of Thomas anywhere nearby, which was quite concerning.

Ichika then realized he'd left Thomas unattended.

"OH SHIT!" Cried Ichika.

The boy burst back into the arcade.

"Guys!" Ichika wailed, "I messed up!"

"Huh?" Said Nana, "Where's Thomas?"

"I left him unattended for five seconds!"

"You _WHAT_?!" Cried Houki, "He hasn't grown out of getting lost?!"

"Aw, no..." Nana looked quite sad.

"Oh for the luvva..." Lingyin sighed, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Oh no!" Cried Charlotte, "We can wait for the gaming tournament later, we need to find Thomas first!"

"_Jah_!" Concurred Laura, "Zhis behavior ish unbecoming of him!"

"Let's split up!" Said Ichika, "We'll cover more ground, send a text to everyone else if you find Thomas first!"

"Right!" Everyone agreed.

The group went outside the arcade, and dispersed as they set out to locate Thomas.

However, had Ichika paid attention and picked up the napkin on the table he and Thomas were sitting at, he might've noticed a very clear message and explanation on what happened to Thomas.

A worker at the food court found the napkin not very long after the group split up, and disposed of the napkin without a second thought.

No one but Thomas understood the gravity of the situation.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

Each time Squall rounded a corner, Thomas would peek around it until she moved further.

Questions...So many questions...Too many questions.

Who was Kana? Why was Phantom Task so obsessed with catching Thomas? Where was Thomas's mother? Who was Yin? What was the thing Chifuyu and Alex didn't want Thomas to go and look for?

More to the point...Why was he really doing this?

He should've gone and gotten everyone else...He should've told them what was going on.

All because he was thinking it would be okay...He knew it was a horrible plan, he just didn't want to get the others involved! Who was he trying to fool, himself? He really just left a note because he was being arrogant, wasn't he?

If he didn't think rationally...He wouldn't be risking himself like this.

But no. He just _had_ to do something foolish like this, didn't he?

Squall suddenly stopped.

Thomas observed her from afar.

She looked back at Thomas from the corner of her eye, making eye contact with him for a single moment.

It was like she was taunting him, daring him to follow her.

This was a trap...It was just screamingly obviously a trap...

So why was he willingly playing Squall's tune?

Did he feel no other alternative?

There were so many rational alternatives to this...Literally everyone would be furious with him for doing this...So why was he doing this? This would no doubt end in badly, it was far too obvious.

He was just being selfish.

No wonder Chifuyu and Alex never told him about him mom...Because he was an irresponsible, arrogant idiot who went and did stunts like this.

He hadn't changed at all...He could never be in a relationship with Nana if he kept doing this.

Old habits truly do die hard.

Squall subtly motioned for Thomas to continue following her...Wherever her destination would be. She was gunning for him again, that much was clear: But the questions were how, and why

How did Squall know he would be here?

And why? Why him?

Why was Thomas refusing to see what was right in front of him?

Whatever devious scheme Squall had planned...Whatever trap she had laid...Thomas chose not to fear it.

As the tailing continued, Squall was leading Thomas around slowly diminishing numbers of civilians...She was isolating him, and yet he simply felt far too engaged to pull away! The hunter was soon to be the hunted, and yet Thomas was going through with it anyway!

The pair were long gone from the mall.

Squall sauntered down an alleyway, Thomas stopped.

They had to have been coming to the end of their trip, right? Squall was leading him off and isolating him by trying to lead him into a corner. This entire thing just reeked of an attempt to kidnap Thomas.

Was he curious? Was he about to seal his fate solely because it'd be disrespectful to say "no?"

Thomas stopped.

Chifuyu was _so_ gonna kill him if she finds out he was doing this...

With a reluctant heart, Thomas ventured into the alleyway after Squall.

Whatever Squall had in store...

His fate was sealed.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

"S'like looking for a lost dog..." Growled Houki.

"Nothing on my end!" Charlotte piped up.

"Zhis ish a vild-goose chase!" Laura pouted.

"On the bright side," Offered Ichika, "At least we can to play hide and seek!"

The girls groaned, a little upset how Thomas shot down their opportunity to get cozier with Ichika simply by disappearing. Sure, they were told this was normal, but it was still infuriating due to the fact of how easily Thomas up and left.

Either he was doing it on purpose or he was just that free a spirit.

It was impossible to determine which was the case.

"Oh dear..." Nana mumbled, "I hope he's okay...It'd be really bad if he wandered into a red-light district..."

"He's responsible enough to stay away from that!" Ichika assured.

"Is he really?" Nana asked rhetorically.

"...We can _hope_ he is at least..." Ichika stood corrected.

"We could make this so much easier with our IS units!" Lingyin complained.

"Do you wanna deal with Chifuyu?"

"I see your point."

"Should we call Miss Orimura?" Inquired Charlotte.

"This is probably nothing," Said Nana, "Just Thomas being Thomas again, she'd probably get a little annoyed if we bug her about it."

"Perhaps so..."

"Don't worry, we'll call her if we find any danger, and Thomas can look after himself for the most part!"

"Let's split up again, holler if you find anything!" Nana walked off.

The students once again split up.

Little did they know they were being watched.

All in out-of-the-way corners of the mall, Madoka, Autumn, and Kana were monitoring the students. Kana was upset as she was unable to go with Squall to abduct Thomas, but she quickly grew up and did her given task.

Madoka eyed Ichika in particular. Like Kana, Squall made certain Madoka was obedient and exercised restraint for her more personal goals. Madoka wanted to take Chifuyu, and cut Ichika out of the equation for stealing her place.

All because of him...

But Madoka was forced to curb her thirst for vengeance for now. With the success of this very operation...Phantom Task would finally have the long-awaited opportunity to set their worldwide plot in motion.

The imbalance of the masses that took root within society, the world's current most-powerful war machine, and the world at such a delicate position...

...It was almost too perfect for Phantom Task to pass up.

All Madoka had to do was be a good girl and do what she was told, and good things would come.

The only piece of the puzzle was a walking contradiction.

Ichika played a hunch, and went back to the arcade and food court. Perhaps Thomas left a note. The idea was crazy enough it just might work, considering Thomas's rather unique methods and tendencies.

Sadly, there was no trace of Thomas, not even a note.

Nana searched another end of the mall, looking around for perhaps another arcade or even a storefront that would match Thomas's demographic. Thomas would most likely be at such a place, but the arcade was even more likely, despite the arcade already checked.

Or...Was it?

Despite starting in the arcade, Nana realized they'd never actually searched the arcade for Thomas. Perhaps he'd slipped past everyone unannounced? But that would mean they'd gone on this fool's errand for nothing!

For Thomas's sake, Nana hoped he wasn't at the arcade.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

"Fancy meeting you here, Thomas." Chuckled Squall.

"You'd knew I'd be here." Thomas spat.

"Well," Squall turned to face the boy, "I was at least trying to start an innocuous conversation."

"How'd you know?"

"Why should I tell you? It'd be more fun to let you figure it out on your own..."

"What's your game, Squall? Talk me into submission?"

Thomas was on the sharpest edge, any number of things could happen at any moment. Potentially, Squall had the rest of her entourage ready to jump out at him. However, they were probably busy making certain Squall and Thomas were alone...

"You're probably wondering where everyone else is," Squall saw right through Thomas, "Don't worry, personal vendettas have been put aside, no harm should befall any of your friends as long as you cooperate."

Thomas remained silent.

"Honestly," Squall sighed, "Can't you see they're squandering your potential? Your so-called 'friends' have been taking advantage and profiting off of your suffering, it's...Just too tragic. I don't know what's worse; Them taking advantage of you, or you doing nothing to stop them!"

It was clear that Squall had Thomas right where she wanted him.

"But once the dust settles," Squall concluded, "I'll bring you back home, right where you belong."

"I already _am_ where I belong." Thomas retorted, "You're the ones exploiting people and profiting offa them!"

"I see..." Squall groaned, "You're really never going to come quietly, are you?"

In the blink of an eye, Thomas and Squall were already in their respective IS Units.

"You're faster." Squall observed, "You've certainly took the whole Kyoto fiasco to heart, haven't you?"

Thomas had nothing he wanted to say.

Squall was getting tired of being stuck with one-sided conversations.

"While we're busy," Squall suggested, "Why don't I bring you up to speed on the family? I think you'll be happy to know everything that's been happening."

Just then, the two engaged in combat.

Thomas swung repeatedly at Squall, only to have each blow blocked and dodged.

"As I was saying..." Squall continued, "Madoka's been able to open up to everyone just a little bit more, that's always a plus. Autumn and Madoka have been getting along a bit better as well! Slowly but surely, we're all becoming closer! The only missing piece is you, it seems."

"...Don't fit in your stupid jigsaw puzzle..."

"Ah! Gotcha to talk!" Squall teased.

Thomas threw a punch with one Shield Pierce, only to have Squall block and counter smoothly.

How? Why? What was keeping Thomas from beating Squall?

It was like being a bully who just found a bigger bully.

"This'll be hard on us both!" Said Squall as she flipped Thomas onto his back.

"Tch!" Thomas grunted.

Squall's mind games were very effective on Thomas, they both knew that quite well. It was working most effectively since Squall clearly knew more than Thomas about his own life and was using it as a bargaining chip.

Something was jamming Thomas's comm, he couldn't call for help.

Dammit...He just kept falling for the exact same trick, didn't he?

Despite having less armaments than Thomas's Revive, the Golden Dawn was a lot bigger and stronger, combined with a super-powered bubble energy shield. Now matter what Thomas did, the only way to crack that shield was with the Reiraku Byakuya.

And seeing as Squall most likely knew that...

Thomas was going to be here a while, if he would be able to leave at all.

There just wasn't any beating Squall...Thomas needed an edge.

Thomas swung again.

Squall countered with...Her right.

Her right arm was usually more limp outside of the Golden Dawn...Was it a prosthetic?

Thomas couldn't risk shooting away, despite being isolated it was still within a populated area.

If he went willy-nilly, someone was gonna get hurt.

Squall was planning this from the start...

She had Thomas in the palm of her hand since square 1.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

"Find him?" Houki grouped with Lingyin.

"Still nothing..." Growled Lingyin, "Just when I thought we'd have a chance to have fun with Ichika too..."

"You know them," Said Houki, "When one's in one thing, the other just has to screw it up."

"They're so good at it it's like they rehearsed it!" Lingyin whined.

"No sign of zhe target!" Laura reported.

"_Rien_ on my part..." Charlotte sighed.

The girls all agreed they were going to punish Thomas accordingly for wasting away their time. And, depending on where he was and why they'd either be more angry or concerned for Thomas.

There was no way he was doing this by coincidence.

He was being Ichika's cock-blocker!

If that was the case, then Thomas was a criminal mastermind in all but name! He so easily fooled the girls into thinking he wasn't interfering with their pursuits of romance, but he so clearly was!

Had Thomas been throwing them off the ball to keep them from winning Ichika's heart all along?

"I just checked the arcade." Said Nana, "Still nothing..."

"Why check the arcade?" Inquired Houki.

"He could've slipped past us..."

"I really don't think he's that stealthy-?" Houki looked past Nana, something had piqued her attention.

"What? What is it?" Nana turned around.

"Is that...?" Houki muttered, squinting.

Houki stared from afar as she watched a woman with long, carrot-colored hair walked around the corner and out of the group's line of sight. While none of the other girls had seen such a sight, Houki had one particular memory of a woman with the hair she'd just seen.

Could it be that crazy woman who was holding Thomas hostage?

Houki remembered the situation quite well.

There was some strange, offsetting woman who was sitting next to Thomas, and it was quite obvious she was a dangerous person. Wouldn't the police be looking for her in that case? Unless...

The woman cornered Thomas once, it was fair to assume she'd try doing so again.

"Get Ichika," Said Houki, "The sooner we find Thomas, the better."

"Hm? What's up, Houki?"

"I'll explain later, c'mon!" Houki marched off to locate Ichika and Thomas.

If it was that same woman...

...The boys were in a lot of danger.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

"If you're not giving up I'm going to have to force you out of your IS!" Squall warned.

True to her word, Squall began to throw punches.

Her right arm...

It hit harder than her left arm, Thomas could feel it.

If he timed things correctly...

Squall knocked Thomas back with a haymaker, giving him precious seconds to deploy his Yukihira Nagata. Even while he was being winded, he could still focus enough to pull out a weapon.

Squall quickly closed the gap and resumed punching got his bearings and attempted to retaliate.

Thomas begun a series of slashes, only to have Squall counter each with her arms. Thomas completed the set with a swing down upon Squall's head, only to have her tank the blow and headbutt Thomas directly to knock him off-balance.

Squall marched to Thomas, and Thomas attempted to stop her with another series of sword attacks.

No matter what Thomas did, Squall was simply too quick for him to land a successful strike.

However...

Thomas kept his attacks from a left slash to right slash, subtly training Squall to anticipate and counter.

As long as he kept up that pattern...

In a shocking twist, Thomas attempted to strike from the left twice!

But unfortunately...

Squall seemed to know Thomas's plan, and quickly countered with a left hook to Thomas's head.

Thomas was once again off-balance, and Squall was at point-blank.

She quickly seized the advantage.

Squall immediately followed up with a right cross, followed by a left cross, and a right overhand.

The woman began to pummel Thomas with a blow to the center of his chest, and an uppercut to his right shoulder. Soon after, she quickly drilled Thomas's midsection with a barrage of punches to the torso, and swung with a left hook to his face.

Thomas was sent spinning back.

Squall raised her right fist for a finishing haymaker.

Time seemed to slow down.

The single instance in time...

Thomas held the Yukihira Nagata with his right arm, holding it as though it were sheathed on his left.

This strike would seriously turn the tide...

Squall's fist began to move for the blow...

Thomas only had nanoseconds to act!

It was like that of a boxing match, such snap-speed actions were absolutely crucial.

Squall's shoulder moved forward...

Suddenly, in that very singular moment, Thomas activated the Reiraku Byakuya!

With a lightning-fast slash upwards, Thomas sliced half of Squall's arm right off!

The attack cut right through the Golden Dawn's arm, as well as Squall's! The Absolute Defense was powerless against the Reiraku Byakuya! artificial blood sprayed from Squall's severed arm as Thomas could see he cut right into the prosthetic!

Squall was taken completely by surprise!

Thomas felt a confident grin slip onto his face as he glanced at the HUD's power readout.

Yeah...He still had enough power after that to go for 1 or 2 more tries.

"Now then," Thomas chuckled, "Let's wrap this up, I've got some friends waiting on me."

Squall's surprise soon dissipated as she began to laugh like she was being entertained.

"I admit," She spoke up, "That was a little irksome...But don't worry, I think a proper beating will settle our accounts quite nicely."

Thomas had a moment, and quickly switched to the Compact Shift.

The smaller size was now a perfect advantage at the cost of several weapons due to size.

The Golden Dawn's tail came to life as it hovered around Squall's now-severed right arm.

"Come on!" Challenged Squall.

"Okay." Thomas took a fighting stance.

"Let's dance."

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

Ichika began to panic.

Houki had just informed him of the situation.

"Crap crap crap!" He cried, "This just went from okay to WORST POSSIBLE CASE!"

Nana was hyperventilating, with Laura and Charlotte staying by her side until she calmed down.

"That's it!" Said Lingyin, "Get your IS Units ready!"

"No!" Affirmed Ichika, "We can't resort to that just yet!"

"Then what d'you think we should do?!" Argued Lingyin.

"Ah...Well...Charlotte, Laura, make sure Nana calms down! Uh...Lingyin! Call Chifuyu-Nee! Houki, follow me! We're going to find Thomas!"

As much as the girls wanted to bicker over their assigned roles, They reluctantly acknowledged.

Houki and Ichika ran through the mall as Ichika pulled out his phone.

"How are we going to find him?" Piped up Houki, "We have no idea where to look!"

"...Should've done this sooner..." Ichika grumbled.

"What're you doing?"

"Using the 'Find my Phone' App to locate Thomas's phone."

"You didn't think to do that BEFORE?!"

"Didn't think it was this urgent!"

"Well, well well..." Sneered an all-too-familiar voice.

Ichika and Houki looked only to find...Kana?!

"You're...Kana..." Noted Houki, "From the summer festival!"

"That's me!" Cheered Kana, "And I'm sorry to say, but I'm going to kill you now!"

"...Come again?" Inquired Ichika.

"You heard me!" Kana was enveloped in a flash of light.

In the blink of an eye, Kana was towering above the pair in the White Wolf. However, it appeared that the White Wolf had been modified. It was taller, with monstrous, claw-like arms, and a massive tail jutting the back.

"Remember me yet?" Kana giggled.

"Wait...You're...You're one of the Phantom Task pilots we fought back in Kyoto!" Realized Houki.

"Mhm!" Kana confirmed, "And Mama's having some bonding-time with Tommy, so I'm afraid I can't let you find him now!"

It appeared Kana was not one for stealth, seeing as people were beginning to look and cluster around to observe Kana's IS. They didn't know any better, most likely they believed it was some kind of publicity stunt.

If they didn't do something fast...The IS Academy was going to have a huge PR mess on their hands.

"D'aw...Look! We have an audience!" Kana cheered, turning towards the bystanders.

Houki did the one thing she could think of.

**"AKATSUBAKI!"**

Within seconds, Houki had Kana in a headlock within the safety of her own IS.

"Ichika! Go, find Thomas! Hurry!" She called back to the boy.

"R-Right!" Ichika looked down at his phone screen and hustled away.

"Oh? You wanna play?" Kana smirked.

Suddenly, the tail-like weapon shot out from Kana's back, attached by a wire.

Houki was too slow to react, and was nailed to the floor by the White Wolf's Tail-Blade, releasing Kana in the process. The bystanders all screamed and scattered as they began to understand the reality of the situation.

"Heh heh heh!" Chuckled Kana, "Let's play!"

Houki groaned as she got to her feet.

Thomas was going to owe her big-time.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

Ichika ran as fast as he could.

What was Thomas's phone doing in an alleyway?

Could it be that he was already...?

No. Ichika couldn't think that way! He had to stay optimistic if there was any hope of finding Thomas! They were too relaxed, Phantom Task had caught them completely off-guard! They still had no idea why Phantom Task wanted Thomas...

The signal was close, Ichika was growing nearer and nearer to Thomas's phone...

This day...It was just turning awful.

It was supposed to be a day off! A day they would have to relax and have fun...Act their age and be teenagers! So...Why? Why would some stupid evil organization just come in and rain on their parade? It just wasn't fair!

Why was it so unfair?! Why'd everyone always have to suffer because of some stupid bad guys?!

All they wanted was to have fun...

Ichika stopped, seeing Thomas's phone was right around the corner.

The boy prepared to unleash the Byakushiki as he rounded the corner to find...

"Ghk!" Thomas grunted.

Ichika gasped.

Squall had Thomas pinned to the wall with the Golden Dawn's tail. Somehow, Squall had managed to finally force Thomas's Revive to go back into Standby Mode after depleting all of his shield energy. Thomas was struggling with only one free arm, he was trapped.

"Now that that's over," Said Squall, "I not only have you, but your Revive as well."

This...This just couldn't be!

Ichika had to be in a nightmare, this just wasn't possible!

Thomas glanced to see Ichika staring in horror.

"Ichika!" Thomas shouted over.

What was he doing?

With his free arm, Thomas slipped the Revive Pendant off his neck and threw it with everything he had at Ichika.

Even if Squall had captured Thomas...Under no circumstance could Thomas allow Phantom Task to get their hands on the power within that single Rafale-Revive. Thomas was doing the only thing he could think of, and making sure the enemy got as little profit as possible.

Squall watched the pendant fly into Ichika's hands.

"Well," Squall turned back to Thomas, "I still have the primary objective."

With that, the Squall snatched up her severed arm and took flight with Thomas in tow.

"NO!" Cried Ichika, deploying the Byakushiki on the dime as he rocketed after them.

In a matter of seconds, Ichika had nearly caught up.

Ichika was almost able to touch Thomas...

Without warning, Ichika was knocked out of flight by a sudden particle beam.

The boy spiraled to the ground as he watched his best friend get taken away before his very eyes.

And there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Ichika hit the ground hard.

It was already too late, Squall was too far away for Ichika to catch up to.

Ichika smashed his fist into the ground in vengeful anger.

"THOMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS!" He screamed.

It was then that Ichika and his friends knew what it was like to lose badly.

It was fast, too fast for them to react.

They'd lost, and Thomas paid the price.

* * *

**A/N: I'M BACK! After all the time I've spent reflecting on everything, I've finally found my creativity and motivation! I'm back and this chapter is bigger than ever! Thanks to all the support you've given during my absence.**

**Y'see, this chapter was always planned, I just never figured out where to put it.**

**In other news, this chapter is also the debut of the Full-Package White Wolf.**

**The Full-Package White Wolf was an overhaul to the original prototype after the battle in Kyoto. Using data from the Golden Dawn, the White Wolf was rebuilt into a similar IS, complete with a Wire-Guided Tail-Blade for combat.**

**I'll do the write-up another time, however, seeing as the new IS has only just been introduced for a second.**

**But dang...This Chapter has just unleashed a huge event.**

**Hope you all are staying safe out there during these trying times in the world!**

**Next Time: Blood is thicker**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	41. Blood is thicker

**I've heard everyone's concerns on the issue with the previous chapter. However, I do plan to try and remedy the situation and hopefully rewrite chapter 40 soon, hope you all enjoy this chapter during these very unique times.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**Trying something a little different, not much to say here. Although I will say I feel like I owe an apology for last chapter, seeing as it was pretty out-of-the-blue and honestly poorly written, hence why I want to rewrite chapter 40.**

* * *

Ichika was at a loss for words.

It'd been some time since Thomas was abducted by Phantom Task.

The only saving grace was Thomas throwing away his Revive Pendant, but...

...Where was Thomas now?

It'd only been a mere days after the abduction.

Right after Thomas was captured by Phantom Task...Things just went cascading downhill. Police got involved, the incident reached social media, It wouldn't be too long before the public demanded an answer from the IS Academy for this incident.

Chifuyu didn't even waste hitting anyone, she yelled, screamed, and cursed quite a bit.

But now she was silent.

The aura around her was so volatile, if someone so much as twitched they risked literally being split in two by Chifuyu.

Alex was at a loss for words.

First Ichika and Thomas being fused together...And now his precious son was taken away.

Nobody had anything to say for themselves.

Thomas was gone seemingly without a trace.

How? Why? Phantom Task had gotten away with Thomas so fast...

Sure enough, relaying the shocking incident to the student body had caused an absolute riot.

Despite the disarray, everyone tried to press on. The IS Academy was ordered by the government to carry on with classes, and was left in charge of issuing a statement to the public. Additionally, due to the abduction of one student, the IS Academy had issued a temporary lock-down in order to protect the students from any further potential attacks.

Thankfully, the extent of such action went as far as an enforced curfew and restrictions to transit to and from the mainland.

But still...

What could they do now?

Thomas was in Phantom Task's clutches, and they had no clue as to where they took him. What did they want with him? What were they going to do to him? Would Ichika even be able to save Thomas?

Ichika just didn't know what he could do other than try to carry on until such a time came where he could find assurance.

It was time for class.

Things seemed normal, at least as normal as they could be without Thomas.

Ichika looked absolutely downtrodden. He was generating a depressing aura, which was slowly spreading to the other students in the classroom. Nobody had ever really seen Ichika act so...Depressed before.

Houki quickly marched up.

"Hey..." She said, "I'm sorry...For letting you down."

The rest of the girls all grouped up around Ichika in the hopes of apologizing for their screw-up.

"Ichika dear..." Cecelia went over, "I heard the news...How are you holding up?"

"Just fine...All things considered..."

"Zhe blame is on all of us." Consoled Laura, "You shouldn't take zhis burden all on your own."

"I guess..."

"If you ever need someone to talk to, we're all here." Charlotte offered.

"Thanks..."

Lingyin signaled the girls from afar, it was almost time for homeroom, meaning Lingyin couldn't come over and offer support with the others. Tyrone and Elias were also already in their classes, and were waiting for the moment they could check up on Ichika.

"Guys, I'm fine, really." Ichika tried to smile.

The girls could see how plastered and fake Ichika's smile looked on his face. He was lying through his teeth, and it was obvious just how terrible a liar he was. However, the girls simply had no idea on how to address the issue.

All they could do for now was try to offer support until some good news came their way.

The bell rang, and classes had begun.

"Good morning class." Maya greeted.

Attendance was taken quickly, and classes had started.

"Today we'll be conducting a joint basic IS training exercise with the other first-year classes in Arena 2." Instructed Chifuyu, "Orimura, group up with the other male students and hurry to the locker rooms to change."

"Y-Yes ma'am." Ichika said, hustling out of the room.

Soon enough, Ichika met up with Elias and Tyrone.

"Hey," Tyrone pulled Ichika aside, "You holding up alright?"

"Yeah...I'll be fine."

"Just make sure to talk...We're all here for you. We all miss Thomas-"

"Now you're talking like he's dead." Said Tyrone, "He ain't dead. Stop talking like he is. He's alive and somewhere in the world, we'll see him again."

"But this is unlawful abduction we're talking about." Said Elias, "Can we really be certain that we'll get Thomas back?"

"If it's the last thing I do." Said Ichika, "C'mon, we need to get changed and get to the arena before Chifuyu rips us a new one."

"Roger that..." Said Tyrone.

The three boys quickly went on their way.

There was an obvious depression in Ichika's movements, he was a little slower, and seemingly just a hint more careless. As much as Ichika said he was okay, it was clear as day everyone knew he wasn't.

After a quick warm-up, the Instructors had split all the first-year classes into several groups, students with personal IS Units were assigned as group leaders. Each group took turns in Uchigane units, with 1 IS assigned to each group.

"E-Everyone." Stuttered Elias, "Make an orderly line and attempt to move the Uchigane, be sure to be kind and courteous to the nest person in line when you've completed some basic movements."

"Alright! Everybody make a single-file line!" Instructed Tyrone, "Each of you will take a turn to warm-up with some basic moves in the Uchigane. Once everyone's gone, we'll up the difficulty as time goes on."

Ichika stood still, he was zoned out.

Chifuyu noticed, and sighed.

"Orimura!" She called.

Ichika didn't hear her.

Chifuyu growled, and promptly marched over to bop Ichika over the head.

"Ow!"

"Focus, idiot!" She scolded, "Do you want detention? I have no problem with that!"

"S-Sorry, Orimura-Sensei!"

"Get to work then!"

"Yes, Orimura-Sensei..."

Ichika took a deep breath as he approached his group.

"Okay everyone," Ichika requested, "Make a line according to...Whatever and take turns with some basic moves in the Uchigane, be sure to take reasonable turns and share the thing, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Hey...Are you alright, Orimura-Kun?"

"Yeah, you look pretty down..."

"Guys, guys." Ichika put on a smile., "I'm totally fine...Stop worrying so much, let's get this show on the road!"

Ichika's smile was quite easy to see through, but everyone pretended they didn't see him suffering and carried on as he requested.

Chifuyu stared at Ichika from afar.

It was easy to tell the shock of Thomas's abduction was still affecting him. Based on the report, Phantom Task moved so quickly and suddenly that Ichika had no time to process or understand what was happening.

Naturally, everyone was shaken by Thomas being kidnapped, but they had to carry on until such an opportunity to find Thomas and bring him home would present itself. The IS Community would most likely be completely upended.

The woman sighed, she had her own problems to worry about.

Not even Chifuyu Orimura, the Brunhilde could possibly dodge the oncoming PR shit-storm that was no doubt looming.

* * *

_Sometime later..._

Once classes had concluded for the day, Tyrone gathered Elias and Ichika to join him in checking up on Nana.

Nana hadn't shown up for classes that day, they had to make certain she was okay. Reasonably, she was in her room, still trying to cope with Thomas's situation. Ichika did his best to toughen up, believing that he shouldn't compare his woes to Nana's.

"Hey, Nana?" Tyrone knocked on her door, "You okay? Come on, we're here to check up on you...Miss Orimura ain't gonna be happy that you skipped class..."

Tyrone twisted the knob to find it unlocked.

"Hey...Come on, Nana..." Tyrone cooed, "Sound off for me, please?"

Nana made no response.

"Nana...?" Tyrone called, "Please tell me she didn't try hanging out like Sayori from the Literature Club..."

Tyrone opened the door and the boys entered.

They found Nana in bed, sleeping with a miserable look on her face. The stains of tear tracks and the stains on the pillowcase right next to her face revealed she had cried herself to sleep. Her hair was wild and messy. She was still in her pajamas.

There was no doubt as to what happened.

Tyrone sighed with relief.

"At least..." He paused, not wanting to tempt fate.

"Oh dear..." Whispered Elias, "What do we do? I...I've been in a similar state before...What would Maria do?"

"Maria?"

"She's...Never mind. Not important, I'll tell you of her later. Let's focus on giving Nana the support she needs."

"Yeah..." Ichika looked shaken.

"You okay?" Inquired Tyrone.

"I..." Ichika, "I guess I was pretty shaken up when Thomas got taken away...But Nana...I mean, she's hurt a lot more..."

Tyrone sighed.

"Look," Tyrone attempted, "Everyone's shook, yeah? Sure, you're not the worst case, but that doesn't mean you can't vent about it. If you bottle it up, then you're the on the road to being the worst case since everyone else is healing but you."

"But-"

"I'm tellin' yah: It's totally fine to show how upset you are. We'll all recover from this together faster and better if everyone opens up."

Nana began to stir.

Elias went to her bedside.

"Nana dear...Is everything alright?"

Nana yawned and blinked as her vision adjusted to finding Elias, Tyrone, and Ichika all standing around her bed.

"Okay..." Nana grumbled, "Did I just get reincarnated into a fucking Otome game?"

"Excuse me?"

"Ugh...Never mind...Did my roommate let you in or something?"

"Something to that degree..."

"Whatever. Doesn't matter. I'm _perfectly_ fine."

Elias flinched.

"No...You're not." He responded.

"I am."

"You're not."

"What makes you think you're such an expert?"

Elias took a deep breath.

"I too lost something I held close. I was frightened, but unwilling to do anything to stop it. But it was those who cared for me that I found the ability to grow onward and move past such a tragedy."

Nana sat up, and took a breath.

"I-I...M'sorry...I didn't mean for you to-"

"Please, allow me to finish." Continued Elias, "The moral is, 'don't push others away, especially when they're trying to help.' It's a hard time for all of us, but it'll certainly make things better for everyone if we all work through this together."

Nana looked away as she processed Elias's words.

"It's just..." Nana finally broke, "I just didn't know what to think...It was all so sudden. One moment, it's all happy-fun times for everyone...But outta nowhere, Thomas just gets plucked right out of our hands, just like that! I...I don't..."

Nana began to whimper and cry.

"It's bullshit..." She mumbled, "S'all a bunch a' bullshit..."

Elias looked to the other boys, signaling them to assist.

"It'll change...For the better..." Elias consoled, doing his best to be hopeful.

Tyrone and Ichika both joined Elias at Nana's bedside, and rested their hands on her shoulders to offer their comfort. Nana found that she was allowed to completely let go, and proceeded to cry deeper and deeper.

She grabbed the three boys and pulled them into a group hug, which they quickly caught onto and returned.

"Ssh, ssh..." Tyrone cooed, "It's gonna be okay...We'll bring Thomas home..."

As Nana slowly calmed down, there was an obvious question on everyone's mind.

What were they going to do now?

As soon as Nana agreed to meet them at the cafeteria for dinner, Ichika made a group text to the other girls. Nana was going to need emotional support from other girls as well, that way everyone could avoid the gossip.

All they could do was hope.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

Alex was on his way to the Orimura house.

His wife was either going to kill him and herself, or something far worse.

It happened again...

Yin obviously had to have heard the news by now. Alex was going to have to deal with the consequences of not protecting his son. It was bad enough hearing David had been lifted away right out of the blue.

But Yin...

Yin would go insane.

Alex rushed to the door and threw it open...

He didn't know whether to be relieved or sad at what he saw. Yin was laying on the couch, she looked completely depressed in every sense of the word. She didn't react to Alex entering the house, despite being in plain view.

"Honey..." Alex went over to Yin.

Yin finally raised her head and looked to Alex.

"Ellen..."

"I failed...I tried so hard to make sure they didn't take him but..."

"We'll get him back...We'll _them_ back."

Yin began to silently cry as she pulled Alex in for a hug.

"Ssh...It's gonna be okay. We're gonna get our boy back. We're gonna get him back...When we do...He needs you. You have to be there for him when he comes home. So please...We can't do this anymore."

"You mean _if_ he comes back...We failed..."

"We will. This won't end like before."

"How can you be so sure...?"

"I have to be. For you."

Alex and Yin remained still as they were frozen in each other's embrace. Yin had been through a lot, especially hearing that her son was kidnapped from right under her nose. She'd become complacent, utterly foolish and paid the price.

"You tried to do it yourself..." Alex continued, "I've been waiting for you to come back...David was waiting too."

"I know, but...I'm sorry, there's no point in excuses."

"It was understandable why you ran...I would've supported you if David wasn't born."

"I'm a terrible agent and the worst mother..."

"Don't say that...You can't be the worst if you were never one to..." Alex paused, realizing that wasn't gonna lighten the mood, "Never mind...We need to focus on finding Thomas. We'll find him if it's the last thing I do."

Yin said nothing.

All she did was keep Alex in her embrace.

Just when she thought things would be different...She was only staving off the inevitable. She'd been so foolish as to not see it coming. Or rather, she'd purposely blinded herself to the truth that Thomas was a target.

Why? Why her child?

He was still a teenage boy, he'd done nothing wrong.

It didn't change the fact he was abducted.

Many teenage boys go missing all over the world. Hell, tons of people get kidnapped all the time, they may not even have any reason to be kidnapped other than for someone's ill definition of a game.

Yin could promise many things...But now it was time to uphold those promises.

* * *

_Later that day..._

Nana left her dorm room, dressed in her school uniform for the first time today.

"Let's just get this over with..." Nana grumbled, wanting to get dinner and go right back to bed as soon as she was done.

Nana walked slowly, making certain to take as many detours as possible to prolong her walk to the cafeteria. She just didn't feel like going, but at the same time she didn't want to blow off everyone, lest they come and get her.

Nana knew it was best to spend time in the comfort of others...But she just wanted to be left alone.

Thomas, at first, was her only connection to everyone else at the IS Academy...

She could still get closer to everyone else, but...

"Parker-San?"

Nana turned around, and laid eyes upon Maya.

"H-Hello, Miss Yamada..."

"You weren't in class today...Is everything okay?"

Nana began to sniffle.

"N-No..."

"Ah...It's about Scott-San, right?"

"M-Mhm..."

"I apologize for anything that happened." Said Maya, "But, rest assured, Orimura-Sensei won't rest until she's found Scott-San. Until the government orders otherwise, We'll all do our part to bring him home."

"...Thanks, I feel a little better."

"Your welcome. We're here for you every step of the way. Oh! I just remembered, Orimura-San and some of the other students are asking for you in the cafeteria, you should go there as soon as you're able."

"I will, have a nice day."

"To you as well."

Nana and Maya parted ways.

As Nana was out of earshot, Maya let out a sigh.

There had to be something more they could do to help...But it was still too soon to do anything. They could say anything they so much as pleased, but it didn't change the fact that, until they had a lead, the only thing they could do was keep Thomas in their prayers.

Chifuyu would do whatever she had to to make things right.

All Maya could do was put faith in her.

Nana slowly trudged into the cafeteria, looking down to the ground.

"Guys! She's here!"

Nana looked up to find Ichika, Tyrone, Elias, Cecelia, Houki, Kanzashi, Laura, Charlotte, and the most surprising, Lingyin, all of them waiting for Nana at a table. It was pretty obvious why they were all here.

This was an intervention.

"Hey guys..." Nana said halfheartedly.

"Well? C'mon! Sit with us," Said Tyrone, "We need to talk, an' you need to be a part of it."

Lingyin stepped forward.

"It's a rough time, for all of us." Said Lingyin, "We've butt heads, yeah...But Thomas was our mutual friend. And...You got the hots for him and I don't. He's obviously got the hots for you, and it sucks because neither of you were able to say it."

"Yeah..."

"I know we're still not best buddies at all...But I just wanna say I'm sorry for being such a jerk. So...Just enjoy yourself dammit, we're all trying to adjust to not having Thomas around every five minutes."

"...Thanks."

"You can thank me by quitting being a pain in the ass. We're all here, you don't see us lying in bed about it."

Nana chuckled.

"...D'you wanna talk about things with us?" Lingyin offered.

Nana paused to weigh the options.

"...Yeah," Nana smiled, "I do."

"Alright!" Ichika cheered, "C'mon, siddown!"

The group did their best to make each other happy as Nana joined them for dinner. Though they did their best to dodge topics that involved Thomas until such a time came where Nana was ready to open up.

"Even if these are trying times," Said Elias, "We're doing our best to mend the damages we can. Though it would be rude to ignore Thomas in this plight, I daresay it'd be prudent we ensure we're all healed for when we bring Thomas back."

"I should've been there," Ichika said, being the one to finally start opening up, "If only I'd been faster, I could've stopped that one IS-Pilot before she pinned him...I'm still too weak, I can't call myself a real man..."

Elias listened as people started talking one by one.

"If we hadn't gotten distracted..." Said Houki, "If we didn't leave Thomas unattended he wouldn't have been in such a situation."

"It's everyone's fault." Lingyin reflected, "No matter what way anyone spins it, we enabled Thomas and he naturally took advantage of it. It was just outta nowhere, and that's what the bad guys were waiting for."

"Zhe situation vas simply straightforward," Laura commented, "Ve vere unprepared, it ish tragic but a matter of fact. Zhere vas no indication that ve vere to be on guard, and ve became complacent..."

"_Oui_..." Charlotte added, "The situation isn't trivial: This will result in an international incident. Nations have each wanted to capitalize on the discovery of male-aptitude for the IS, but no nation would be desperate enough to throw just any male into the IS Academy, they have national pride to uphold. Accusations will be made, especially seeing as the United States will want an answer for this."

Nana finally felt it was her time to talk.

"Thomas...Thomas means a lot to me. He's the reason I decided to go to the IS Academy at all, and he's the person who introduced me to all of you. I couldn't care about it being an international incident."

Everyone waited for Nana to continue, she absolutely had more to say.

"Thomas means the world to me, I want to stay with him until the end...But I don't want that end to be now. I want to be there when we go and rescue him, but...This morning I just couldn't see the point in getting out of bed because I feel like we may never find Thomas."

"You gotta have hope," Tyrone piped up, "I know we can talk all day about hopin' he comes back and all, but I absolutely ain't gonna sit on my hands when we get a lead. There's no way they're gonna keep us out of the loop."

"We're all praying for Thomas's safe return," Said Cecelia, "He's one of our own...We can't just turn our backs upon him."

"I don't know him perfectly well..." Confessed Kanzashi, "But unlawfully abducting anyone...It's just wrong."

The most the children could do was talk. They had no lead upon finding Thomas, they didn't even know where to start. Thomas could've been anywhere in the world and all they could do was make empty promises.

When the time came, it would be up to them to make the right decision.

But until that time came...They were doing all they could.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

Thomas laid in a cot, looking up at the ceiling.

It was all he could do.

It'd been 2 days since Squall dragged him off...

She knocked Thomas unconscious, and by the time he came to, Thomas was locked in what appeared to be a makeshift prison cell built just for him. There was vinyl wood flooring, he'd been given a cot, there were no windows, and the door was solid metal.

Though, if what Squall said was true, Thomas might've been able to punch his way through the walls.

That was a very stupid idea and Thomas berated himself for even thinking of it.

Thomas watched anything he said or did, it was probable that anything would result in his condition growing better or worse. Though he couldn't help but feel a little rebellious if someone decided to pay a visit.

So far, the only person he'd seen was Squall.

However, Thomas knew for a fact that Squall's cronies were lurking nearby...What were they planning to do with him? Squall was no doubt going to enjoy it if Thomas suffered, seeing as he chopped off her prosthetic arm.

The day before, when Thomas first woke up this cell, Squall had just finished taking DNA samples from his body. She never said what she was doing with the samples, but she did smile and welcome him to his new lifestyle.

Thomas would be lying if he said he wasn't scared in the slightest.

He just simply couldn't tell what was to become of him. Would he die here? Would Phantom Task make him their thrall? Or perhaps something worse than death? Thomas was affected deeply by his predicament.

But overall...Thomas's patience was wearing thin.

There was nothing to do...

It was slowly starting to drive Thomas a little mad...

Just then, the lock on the door clicked and slid.

Thomas was getting a visit.

Squall entered.

Thomas glanced, but pretended to ignore her.

Squall's arm had already been replaced...Wherever they were, Squall had access to replacement prosthetic limbs. In fact, she looked good as new, with her usual temptress demeanor and sly grin.

"How are you adjusting?"

Thomas was silent, ignoring Squall at all costs.

"Well, I can't say I blame you...You brought this on yourself."

Squall stepped closer.

"It wouldn't hurt for you to talk to me a little..."

Thomas remained quiet.

Squall sighed, her smile beginning to waver.

"Honestly...Is this because you think I'm furious over you taking off my arm? I will admit I was agitated by it...But I've forgiven you. Why won't you talk? You obviously know this isn't going to make things easier on you."

Squall walked over, a tray of food in her hands.

"Here...You must be starving."

The food looked quite tasty, especially since Thomas hadn't eaten in a while...

No. It was too risky, Squall might've spiked the meal with poison or drugs, and Thomas couldn't take that risk in his current position.

Squall groaned.

"You're really playing this game?" Squall's smile finally dropped, "Thomas, do I have to hold you down and feed you myself? Do you think there's poison or aphrodisiac laced into it or something? Honestly..."

Squall picked up the tray.

"Well, I won't try to change your mind. I have a feeling you'll come around eventually. You're your own worst enemy."

Squall soon left, leaving Thomas once again to his lonesome.

Whatever tactic Squall was trying to play, Thomas was concerned this it was working.

Thomas wanted to remain strong and tough things out, but there was simply no telling how well his efforts would do in the situation. He had no idea where he was, let alone an idea of how to escape.

The infinite quiet was taking hold...It was slowly making Thomas go insane.

Just how much did Thomas take freedom for granted? He'd take it all back and start over if he could.

The quiet fear that he would die here began creeping in...

If he were to die, his regret would be that he didn't see his friends one last time before passing on. While he knew he would be missed, and certainly that people would remember him, the thought of never seeing the people he loved again...

He knew that things like abduction were traumatic, but now he knew it firsthand.

Phantom Task was slowly stripping him of his dignity...Perhaps their goal really was to convert him to their pawn after all. While Thomas could figure that out on his own, the issue was if he was able to stop them from doing so.

The most basic part of brainwashing is to first take away freedom and dignity...Like Stockholm Syndrome.

Thomas felt himself twitch...He was aching for something to do. He felt starving...Perhaps he really should've eaten the food Squall gave him when he had the chance. While Squall did seem like she'd oblige if Thomas asked for food...He couldn't risk it.

Anything at all...

Thomas yawned, and fell asleep.

He had no sense of time, Squall was no joke when it came to this...

If Thomas could turn back time...He'd do it in a heartbeat.

If only...

Thomas jolted awake to the sound of the cell door being unlocked...Oddly more frantic than any other time.

What was happening?

Rescue? No, highly unlikely, it couldn't have taken the IS Academy so quickly to track Thomas down.

Thomas sat up...This didn't seem normal...

The door slowly opened to reveal...

...Kana, panting heavily as she cautiously entered the room.

Kana rushed over to Thomas, with a strange but all-too-familiar concerned look on her face.

"Ssh...It's okay, it's okay. I'm not here to hurt you..." Kana whispered, "Don't bother talking...You didn't eat the meal Mama gave you, did you? I guess you thought it was poison or something..."

Kana pulled out an unopened energy bar, and placed it in Thomas's hands.

"Eat it quickly...You need to eat. It's not poisoned, I got it from a vending machine. Hurry up..."

Kana took the initiative and unwrapped the bar for Thomas.

Thomas had no idea what was going on.

What the hell was Kana doing?

Thomas couldn't trust Kana...She was a Phantom Task Agent...

But as the same time...Thomas was dying of hunger...

The energy bar couldn't have been poisoned, unless Kana took the time to go find a factory, manufacture both the bar and wrapper with whatever concoction she would've put in. That sounded quite ridiculous but well-founded for Thomas to consider.

But...Thomas was utterly dying of hunger.

Thomas took the energy bar and ate right through it.

Kana smiled as he did so.

"It's gonna be okay..." Kana reached her arms around Thomas, "You're gonna be alright..."

Thomas was startled, Kana was throwing him off...

But...

Thomas felt his body turn against his mind as he submitted to Kana's embrace.

The warm hug had made Thomas realize how cold his body had become.

"Ssh...You'll be safe...No lethal harm's gonna come to you...It's all gonna be okay..."

Thomas just couldn't hold back the question anymore.

"Who...Are you?"

He needed to know...

Kana gently released Thomas and stood up.

"My name is Kana Scott, and I'm your biological older sister."

* * *

**A/N: Finally...Once again, I apologize for making this arc out of nowhere. I'll admit for the longest time, I inadvertently wrote myself into a corner with this arc, and clearly, Chapter 40 is a testament to that.**

**I'd like to make the biggest shout-out to Xenowishes for his help and support in my writing. You'd may recognize him as the writer for "I Change My Mind." I profusely thank Xenowishes for everything he's done to help me, I feel blessed to be able to talk to him.**

**This arc has indeed gone through several different concepts, with various different endings and even completely different routes.**

**I'll do my best to make the story better as I go, thank you all so much for being here with me!**

**As always, take extra care in these remarkably difficult and strange times, wherever you are in the world, you all mean the world to me. I hope you all are healthy and hale, and having a good day.**

**Next Time: The Deal**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**


	42. The Chained Lion

**Howdy everyone, hope you're feeling well and taking care!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.**

**People have brought to my attention that I have mistakenly typed Thomas as "David." Please ignore these typos, David is another character for another story of mine that will be started soon, hopefully not too long away.**

**Thanks a lot.**

* * *

"My name is Kana Scott," Kana declared, "And I'm your biological older sister."

Thomas stared up to Kana.

"No you're not." Thomas deadpanned.

Kana looked down at Thomas awkwardly.

"But I am..."

"No. I _have_ no biological sibling."

"Really?! Dad never told you?"

"No...Because I don't have one."

Kana looked hurt.

"B-But..."

Thomas had lost any trace of fear...Now he just thought Kana was simply nuts more than threatening."

"Hmph!" Kana pouted, "Fine! Be that way!"

Kana stomped out of the cell and shut the door, upset and most likely going to throw a tantrum.

Thomas sighed, and laid back down on the cot.

He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy Kana's company for a time. Kana was the first person who wasn't Squall that actually entered the cell and spoke to him, it was reassuring to hear that someone cared, even if it was just a lie to get his trust.

What time was it? What day was it?

Thomas had to keep in mind of when he slept.

If his body was still attuned to the same sleeping patterns as normal...He'd been locked up for 2 to 3 days.

He didn't know what to do.

There wasn't any sort of plan if he just ran and hoped for the best.

If he tried running away, he probably wouldn't get very far. He'd might not even make it out of...Wherever he was. Besides, he had no idea how far away from the IS Academy he was, he would probably be on the other side of the planet.

But there was also a danger in him letting the situation go on.

There was still no telling why Phantom Task wanted Thomas, and perhaps they'd already gotten what they wanted. Thomas was in serious danger, as the longer he stayed, the higher risk of him no longer being of use to Phantom Task grew.

And it went without saying what that would end with.

Still...Thomas had to do something, he'd go crazy if he just sat around for too much longer!

Home...Thomas wanted to go home...

Thomas yawned, and went back to sleep.

Whatever fate awaited him when he woke up...

...He chose not to fear it.

* * *

_Some time later..._

Thomas was awoken to the sound of the cell being unlocked.

Squall walked in, a blindfold in her hand.

"Normally I would've had to use chloroform and more drastic measures," She said, "But you're smart enough to behave yourself, so I'll just make certain you can't run."

Thomas was silent.

"We're moving you outside the cell for a little bit," Said Squall, "You're not permitted to go anywhere beyond your set path, so I'll be keeping a hand on you to guide you while you're moving."

Squall held up the blindfold.

"If you behave yourself, you won't be harmed too much."

Squall motioned for Thomas to stand.

Thomas stood up, knowing he had to bide for time.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Squall continued as she wrapped the blindfold over Thomas's eyes, "We're going to be taking a medical examination of you, so you probably should be ready if you're scared of needles."

Thomas felt a hint of nervousness.

They had to have been trying to see how he could pilot an IS...It was clear as day now.

"No need to feel scared," Squall whispered into Thomas ear as she tied the blindfold, "I'll be right by your side the entire way through. You don't need to worry about getting hurt unless you try being unruly."

Thomas looked down in shame, thankfully it was masked by the blindfold.

"Now," Squall instructed, "I'll be guiding you, walk towards the direction I'm pulling you."

Squall ushered Thomas out of the cell.

Thomas took timid steps forward, Squall had her arms on his shoulders, and was unexpectedly gentle with Thomas. If Thomas ever once stepped in the wrong direction, she'd carefully turn him in the right one.

Perhaps it was Thomas losing his mind, but it felt like Squall was showing a sign of care for Thomas.

Yeah...It had to be his imagination.

After what felt like a rather short minute of walking, Squall guided Thomas into a new room.

"We've arrived," Said Squall, "Unfortunately, the blindfold isn't coming off until you're secured."

Thomas then felt Squall usher him to a seat, and felt as someone began strapping down his arms and legs.

Soon after, Squall removed the blindfold.

Thomas squinted as an extremely bright light was right in his eyes.

"Just relax." Squall stood over Thomas, "This'll be over a lot quicker...Though I think you're a bit too grown-up for a lollipop after the examination."

Squall then stepped aside as a masked doctor stepped over him.

"Try not to struggle," The doctor reminded, "You're about to receive a penicillin injection before we begin."

Thomas felt the needle sting his shoulder as the doctor injected the antibiotic.

He winced...Injections always stung.

The doctor disposed the syringe, and took another one.

This time, the doctor didn't inject Thomas, but began to withdraw blood from him.

"Fascinating..." The doctor whispered as she stared at the blood sample.

The doctor quickly took a few more samples, and left the room.

It was clear to Thomas what came next.

Soon after, Thomas had been scanned and examined by various means of devices to analyze his body and mind. They took all manner of tests, from DNA samples, to brain scans, even bio-metric.

They wanted to see how exactly Thomas could interact with an IS.

However, they weren't the only ones.

Thomas himself wanted to understand.

* * *

_Elsewhere, the IS Academy..._

"I can't take it anymore!" Ichika threw his hands up.

"Oh no you don't!" Tyrone quickly set Ichika back down in his seat.

"Ichika, please..." Pleaded Elias, "You know we all feel the same way, but we can't afford to be getting up in arms and wasting our time with an otherwise-pointless search. We have to wait for the word-"

"And when's that gonna be?! Thomas could be dead or dying right now and all we're doing is sitting on our hands!"

"You really think we don't know that?!" Tyrone snapped, "You think I like sitting on my ass right now?! We all would like nothing more than to get Thomas and bring him home, but we can't. Waste. Time! We have to wait for the opportunity."

Ichika sat back down, grumbling.

"Just...So done with this..."

"I know man," Tyrone pat Ichika's shoulder, "I know."

"I feel like we should try calming down a little," Suggested Elias, "It won't do for us to be running about in a confined space agitating everyone along with us. We've been cooping ourselves up too much, we need to unwind."

"Yeah..." Ichika groaned.

"We aren't allowed to leave the island after that whole shit-show...Anything we got to do here?"

"There's always video games..."

"Perhaps, would it be wise to get invested?"

"Feels more like a distraction, not a real way to unwind..."

"Yeah, but still, better'n nothing."

"Wanna try some...Smash Bros...?"

"Yeah, I'm down."

"I concur."

The three boys set up a series of _Super Smash Bros_ sessions to try and think of other things.

However, the only time where the intended purpose of playing worked was while they kept playing the game. The boys could tell all they were doing was delaying the inevitable dialogues between them regarding the situation.

They needed a coping mechanism, and all the restrictions they had weren't helping.

Chifuyu watched them from the door to the next room.

She sighed, and went about her way.

How long could the IS Academy coop the boys up?

Things were becoming as tense as a highly-strung bow...

...Sooner or later, they'd snap.

"Damn..." Ichika grumbled, "So close to the convention too..."

"Convention?" Said Tyrone.

"Yeah...Me n' Thomas were working on cosplay to wear at an upcoming convention last summer...But now we might not even get to go to it because of Phantom Task just up and kidnapping Thomas out of nowhere."

"Ah..."

"Completely slipped my mind until now." Ichika groaned, "I'd ask if you guys would wanna join us, but..."

"We'll wait and see." Said Tyrone, "This ain't over yet."

"I just hope it is soon..." Ichika mumbled.

"Anyone got anything they wanna do now?" Inquired Tyrone.

"We could-oh...Never mind..."

"What?"

"I thought we could've went to the mall center to find something to do, but..."

"Ah yeah, no dice."

"There's nothing we can do that we've already done to pass time."

"We _could_ sneak out..." Ichika suggested.

"There's no way we're gonna be able to sneak past security." Tyrone piped up, "We're not exactly forgettable either, the staff'll figure out sooner or later, they'll round us up and bring us right back...I dunno about you, but I personally don't wanna get firsthand experience in Miss Orimura's wrath."

"Yup." Ichika quickly concurred.

"Motion passes." Elias agreed as well.

"Ergh..." Ichika grumbled, "...Can't do anything anymore..."

"We hafta suffer too," Said Tyrone, "Try to chill."

"I know..."

"Perhaps we could use this time to...Connect with a few other students?" Elias suggested.

"Clarify that?"

"We can make a few friends to talk to...It's essentially all we've got."

"That could work," Said Tyrone, "But...You ever notice how the girls aren't so...Calm and collected?"

"Oh...Right."

"We'd probably just get mobbed the moment we're in the presence of more than three girls. I can kinda get why you'd say it, but if what you're saying is true...Honestly thought you'd be the last one to agree to that."

"I can see why you'd say that...But after I was victimized, I wanted to try not letting it define me."

"Here here."

"Well, uh..." Ichika said, "I'd say we could try playing more video games, but..."

"We could watch some anime to kill time." Tyrone suggested.

"Maybe..." Ichika said.

"I'd say that's potentially the best suggestion we have." Elias added.

"Dang..." Awed Tyrone, "It must be _really_ bad if you guys are going to my level of entertainment..."

"Not quite, we're just getting desperate to do something." Admitted Ichika, "It feels like I'm gonna go crazy at this point unless we do something!"

The boys all groaned.

"Buncha angst in the room..." Tyrone grumbled.

"I hate this so much..." Ichika whined, "I mean, what do they expect of us? We're just teenagers! We're not trained soldiers! We didn't do anything wrong, and we're not allowed to go anywhere..."

"Remain inside one long enough..." Elias recited, "And an ivory tower becomes a prison."

"Exactly!"

The boys all sat in silence for a moment.

"So..." Elias turned to Tyrone, "What anime should we watch?"

"We're gonna binge-watch?"

"I can't think of anything short of...What's the term? 'Binge-buddies?' Yes...I can't think of any better time to start trying."

"Gotta admit," Tyrone chuckled, "Didn't think you'd guys wanna binge with me...I like to go all-in."

"You're the guide here," Ichika concurred, "So lead the way."

"Roger that."

* * *

_Sometime later..._

"Has anyone seen the boys?"

"I heard the staff has been isolating them after Scott-San was abducted."

"I guess they don't wanna take any chances..."

The girls were all uneasy as they listened to the gossip in the cafeteria.

"Has anyone seen any of the three boys?"

"_Nein_," Answered Laura, "Mentor has ordered that zhe boys are to remain isolated until further notice, she ish personally delivering assignments to zheir dorm rooms each day to give zhem at least somezhing to do."

Lingyin groaned, and put her head on the table.

"We screwed up so badly..."

"Even so..." Charlotte tried to encourage, "It isn't about what we failed to do, but what we can still do, no?"

"Agreed," Houki looked focused, "I have to increase my training further to keep this from happening again!"

Nana yawned.

"How might you be holding up?" Cecilia turned her head, "You were certainly worse for wear not too long ago..."

"M'fine," Nana yawned again, "Sleepy..."

"Have you been staying up too late? It's improper for a lady to be so reckless, even if in times of crisis."

"Yeah yeah, okay mom."

"Please, don't be so rude, you can talk about your feelings." Kanzashi spoke up.

"I know...It's just...How long do we have to wait? It was devastating at first but this is just getting irritating."

"I see..."

"Thomas can handle himself, I have faith in him for that. But...I'm still obviously worried...Like, what if he doesn't come back? What if we never see him again? I'm getting annoyed 'cuz we don't have any answers!"

"Ve have to put our faith into our superiors. Zhis isn't a situation zhat we can approach so carelessly."

"Uggggh..." Nana groaned, completely burned out and exhausted.

Lingyin was silent, she didn't know what to say.

"Hey, don't fret." Charlotte patted Nana's shoulder, "We'll get through this."

Nana took a deep breath.

"This is so stupid...We're not even allowed to go to town on the weekends."

"But that also means we're able to talk things out with each other."

"I guess..."

"If you ever need focus," Offered Houki "you can join me in the Kendo Club-"

"Absolutely not, you'll beat my ass in a not-so-enjoyable way."

"H-Hey! That's rude!"

"And I'm politely explaining why I don't want to join the Kendo Club."

"Th-That's not true! You could have potential!"

Nana began to stretch as she yawned once again.

"Eh, doesn't line up with my interests."

"Perchance," Cecilia offered, "You'd enjoy a spot of tea-"

"Egh, I'm not a die-hard fan of tea."

"Guys, let's try to lay off a little," Suggested Kanzashi, "We're beginning to overwhelm her with stuff she probably doesn't wanna do...Let's try doing something that she wants to do that's still possible to do."

"I concur, my apologies." Said Cecilia.

"I'm sorry." Said Houki.

"S'fine...So booooooored..." Nana groaned.

"Let's try thinking of ways to do activities we'll all enjoy." Kanzashi suggested.

"Oh! Game tournament?" Lingyin suggested.

"Too much salt...Besides, I doubt everyone here knows how to play the games I have." Nana groaned "Ugh...What else is there? There has to be something! Talking about boys isn't so hot right now..."

The girls all groaned in awkwardness.

"Oh!" Nana sat up, "We can watch movies!"

"Genius!" Said Lingyin, "How many movies do you have?"

"Enough to last like...A week, tops."

"Bettern' nothing! Let's marathon!"

"A marathon? Of films?" Cecilia inquired, "I've never really had the time for such lackadaisical activities-!"

"Okay okay Shakespeare we don't need to big words, c'mon!" Nana began ushering Cecilia and the rest of the girls out of the booth.

"Alright, alright..." Cecilia said, "If you insist, I suppose I have nothing better to spend my time with..."

"Well, I can't argue either," Said Houki, "If it helps, then I suppose I can spend a little time not training..."

"Then let's go! We can all vote on a movie when we get to my room!" Said Nana.

Charlotte and Lingyin hopped up and rushed to join Nana, Laura shrugged and simply followed Charlotte. It was rather intriguing to watch, as this was the most motivated that Nana had ever been in days.

This sudden change in attitude was more than welcome.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

"You're certain the subject's ready for the experiment?" Squall talked to an unknown caller.

After a few moments of pausing, presumably to hear the answer, she smiled.

"Good...Unfortunately, we were unable to secure the IS-Unit. While I do say that securing the target's IS would've been ideal, circumstances ended up forcing my hand and resulting in half a job. Although, seeing as it's an IS supposedly modified by Dr. Tabane Shinonono, I have my doubts that we would've been able to reverse-engineer it without disastrous consequences. However, the mass-production model in development should prove adequate enough for testing."

After a few moments, Squall replied once more.

"I understand, we'll try to use him as necessary to complete this phase of the mission."

Squall paused once again.

"Understood, I have a plan on how to acquire samples from the other targets. Don't worry, we will succeed."

Squall ended the call and put away her phone.

"Good news, Thomas." Squall went over to Thomas, who was still strapped to the examination table.

Thomas didn't respond.

Squall sighed.

"You'll be pleased to know you just might be allowed to go home."

Thomas cocked an eyebrow and looked at Squall.

"If you behave, you might get to even start walking around outside of your cell." Said Squall, "While I would like to keep you, there's still some use to giving you back to the IS Academy...Don't worry, you're not going to be our worm, you're just our bargaining chip."

Thomas looked...Oddly unamused.

He wasn't afraid, or suspicious. He looked weary, as though someone just told him a bad joke.

"Being a young boy I'd have expected you to be nervous..." Said Squall.

Thomas took a deep breath, and sighed.

"Not gonna lie," He finally spoke, "I legitimately stopped caring a while ago."

Squall cocked an eyebrow.

Instead of being afraid or desperate to find an escape route, Thomas seemed more calm and collected. Either he'd gone through this sort of thing before, or he was so full of teenage angst he could not be bothered to care.

"Well," Chuckled Squall, "I finally got you to talk to me."

Thomas realized she indeed had.

"Sh-Shut up..." Thomas grumbled.

"Now now," Said Squall, "Is that any way to talk to me, being someone in your position?"

"You didn't seem to mind before..."

"You may be correct, but what if it wasn't me you just said that to? You'd probably be dead or in waterboarding."

Thomas sighed.

"Whatever." He groaned.

Squall made a small sly grin and left the room.

"Mama!" Kana pounced, "Can I play with him now? Can I?"

"Patience, Kana," Instructed Squall, "He's still in his examination, so he can't play right now. But, to make it up to you, you'll be the first to know when the examination is over, how's that sound?"

Kana pouted upon hearing Thomas was unavailable, but happy she'd get first dibs on him when he was.

"Okay!" Kana cheered, running off to play with Madoka instead.

Squall chuckled as she went to make preparations.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

Alex had spent several days at home to take care of Yin during her shock.

If it were to be summed up, Alex would compare Yin to a child unable to take care of themselves. She'd been so rocked by Thomas's abduction she couldn't focus on her day to day lifestyle, resulting in her being mostly bedridden by her own depression. She was in her pajamas day in and day out, both Alex and Yin approached the situation as though Yin had a fever that refused to cool down.

However, Alex didn't mind, it'd been too long since he was allowed to take care of his wife.

"Here comes the airplane~!" Alex joked as he began to spoon-feed Yin a bowl of porridge.

Yin ate off the spoon, but said nothing, not certain on whether she should be lamenting or if she should let Alex flirt with her. She was simply too far out-of-touch with being so stay-at-home after spending so much time wandering around the world in her crusade against Phantom Task.

Yet...Being in bed, being taken care of, it all felt nice.

Even with her son missing, was it so wrong to indulge herself a little?

"C'mon, honey," Alex pat Yin's head, "I know you're upset, but you gotta look after yourself, no excuses."

"I just don't know...How did we get together? I stalked you...And you just opened the door and practically pulled me in..."

Alex chuckled.

"Sounds about right...Found you in bushes, behind lampposts, behind corners...Honestly, you looked so adorable, you were so shy back then. And yet you didn't gut me like a fish when I found you in the rain and brought you to may place."

Yin blushed.

"Th-That's because you were just open and inviting..."

"Time sure flies..." Alexander chuckled.

"But we can't-"

"You're not going anywhere." Alex stopped Yin, "I know you're still so pressed to try and locate Thomas, but you keep forgetting you're not alone anymore. You don't have to keep upping and leaving whenever something happens."

"I-I guess..."

"Honestly..." Alex sighed, "Call me selfish, but I'm not going to let you go off again for what could be another sixteen years! I just can't take it, knowing you're probably anywhere when I want you and need you..."

"I'm...Sorry..."

"I've been doing my best to raise Thomas, but I just don't know how much longer we can keep doing this..."

"I don't know what to do..." Said Yin, "I don't know the first thing about raising a kid..."

"And we made kids, you've got to stop running and be a mother."

"B-But-!"

"No buts! I'm not letting my wife and son staying away from each other forever! I am the man of the house and I'm finally putting my foot down! You don't get to play that card anymore! You're going to suck it up and bond with your kid!"

Yin was pouting for the first time in years.

Alex was treating her like a child!

"Are you upset? Good! That's nothing compared to the pain I feel when I think about all the time we spent apart!"

Yin was speechless hearing that.

"You probably thought we would've divorced by now...But I'm not giving up on you, not while there's still time to make things right. I'm tired of having to keep the cycle of lying to my son and waiting for my wife. So now that you're back, I'm not gonna let you go without a fight."

"A-Alex..."

"You've been ignoring other people's feelings this whole time, you know that? Sure, you say you know the pain we're all going through, but you're only saying that since you're too scared to try and come back to us!"

Alex sighed.

"I should've said this a long time ago, and I'm making up for this mistake by confronting you now. You're going to stop running, grow up, and learn to become a mother. I just can't keep this cycle going forever."

Yin could do little more than listen as Alex finally grew a spine and took charge of the situation.

"I...You've changed..." Yin marveled.

"I've got half a mind to move on, but I'm not going to leave you." Said Alex, "Just...Promise me you'll finally start to try?"

Yin was silent as she turned her thoughts inward to find her answer.

"I'll...Try." She said finally.

"About the only answer I'm gonna get..." Alex sighed, "Well, it's better'n nothing."

"I'm sorry..." Yin began to cry a little, "I've been a terrible wife! All I've done since our marriage is run around after giving birth, and I don't even know what the point of it was anymore! I...I just...I can't..."

Alex pt down the porridge and gave Yin a warm hug.

"I can't say I blame you for booking it after Thomas was born..." He consoled, "But this? Not telling Thomas a word about why or what's happening? It's been tearing him apart at times, and there's only so much longer we can keep going before it completely backfires if it didn't already..."

"I...I know...You're absolutely right. But...Can I really be the mom I should've been?"

"I've got no idea, but it's so much better than scrambling every time Thomas wanders within twenty feet of you."

"Well...I promise...I'll try. I'm probably going to bolt at first chance..."

"Just remember...You're not alone anymore."

Alex and Yin proceeded to cuddle, indulging bedroom acts they hadn't experienced in years.

They were finally husband and wife once again.

* * *

_Sometime later..._

Chifuyu was well and truly worn out for the first time she could remember.

She had to deal with the government, the school, the students, manage teaching classes and enforcing the current lockdown, and there was simply no way she could simply up and leave to go find Thomas herself.

What she hated more than anything was situations where one was powerless to follow their heart.

At the moment, she was slaving over a very thick stack of paperwork.

Maya watched Chifuyu work on paper after paper in a depressed rhythmic pattern.

Finally, Maya tried to intervene.

"O-Orimura-San," Maya walked in, "Would you like some help?"

"No." Chifuyu said monotonously.

"Ma'am..." Maya tried, "You've been working nonstop, you need to slow down and take a break."

"Don't wait for me," Said Chifuyu, "I've got nothing better to do."

"Ma'am, your little brother is here, even if your surrogate one is-!"

"Don't talk to me about it! I know Ichika's safe and sound, but Thomas is out there and he could be in a multitude of problems, and I'm stuck here in my office filing fucking reports like a goddamn secretary!"

"Ma'am-!"

"There's only so much of this office shit I can take before I go crazy! And there's nothing else I can do because it'd be a waste of time!"

"ORIMURA-SAN!" Maya boomed.

Chifuyu flinched, caught off-guard by Maya's sudden outburst.

"You're being such a handful! I get it, we all do! You're upset! And guess what? We all are too! This isn't something you need nor should take on yourself! You're crashing and burning and you're just seconds away from being crushed under all that weight!"

"Y-Yamada-San-?!"

"I'm tired of watching you just beat yourself up over this like a depressed teenager! Get yourself together, we need cool heads and determined people if we want to get through this in one piece!"

Chifuyu was simply stunned.

Maya, on the other hand, was tired of Chifuyu's frivolous behavior.

"So, you're going to pull yourself together, and you're going to grow up!" Maya continued, "We've got our heads in our asses and you're supposed to be on duty, so stop feeling sorry for yourself and get to work!"

Chifuyu blinked, and did her best to process Maya's attempt at a pep-talk.

"So, a-are you...Gonna do it or not?" Maya blushed, her ability to put her foot down was exhausted.

"Well," Chifuyu straightened her back, "I suppose you're correct. It's time I do my job instead of moping around all day...I apologize for making you upset, there's no excuse."

"I'm just glad you're finally trying to get back to normal..." Maya sighed, "That said, what do we do now?"

"We keep the students occupied and make certain that we remain informed of Scott's predicament. Until the government orders us to stand down, we're taking charge of the search and recovery effort."

"But where can we start?"

"I don't know..." Said Chifuyu, "But I'll be damned if we don't even try."

"R-Roger, Orimura-San!" Said Maya, internally jumping with joy her intervention was successful.

"That said," Continued Chifuyu, "We can't just up and act on our own. While we may be independent from nation affiliation, we still have people to answer to. On top of that, the public's demanding an answer for this fiasco...We've got work to do."

"Does that mean...?"

"It does, I'm doing what I should've done from the start, I'm taking control of the situation."

"It's great to have you back."

"Let's get to work, we can celebrate once it's all said and done."

"Right."

"I'll make a call to an old friend soon, see if she can get some answers."

"Ma'am, I've forgotten to ask, but...How's Thomas's father holding up?"

"He's been taking it well, all things considered. I'm impressed he hasn't had a mental breakdown already."

"That's very good news...I hope he'll be okay."

"He's been through worse."

"Like what?"

"I'm not at liberty to say."

"Well, let's get to work." Maya said cheerfully.

"Agreed." Concurred Chifuyu.

Chifuyu and Maya began to start organizing and resuming paperwork with renewed vigor. They planned to get right onto locating Thomas and recovering him once all their paperwork was finished, orders or not.

The only situation was where to start.

It would be most unlikely they could just ask around, and they weren't at liberty to search deeper.

Maya sighed as she carted off another stack of papers.

Chifuyu stretched her back as she prepared to receive another stack.

Her phone rang.

Chifuyu checked the ID, it was unknown. It was probably some telemarketer, but Chifuyu decided to accept the call to indulge a second to check for certain. She was quite casual about answering, but kept formalities.

"This is Chifuyu Orimura."

"_Oh? It went through._" A woman answered, "_This is going smoothly._"

"Who is this?"

"_Well, Chifuyu Orimura, this is Phantom Task._"

Chifuyu flinched.

"How did you get this number?"

"_Relax,_" Said the woman, "_Judging by your tone, you know the situation, good._"

"If you even think about hurting him-"

"_Calm down, we wouldn't dare hurt Thomas Scott, he's...Quite moody, all things considered._"

"Where is he?"

"_Don't worry, you'll see him soon._"

"What have you done with him?"

The woman chuckled.

"You think this is funny?!"

"_No no...I don't, but you being off your game was just a little amusing._"

"What do you want? Make it plain!"

"_I'm here to make you an offer you can't refuse._"

* * *

**A/N: Chapter end! It's been FAR too long since I updated AI, I apologize greatly. I've been really busy lately, as I've started up "Infinite Stratos: Reignite Pulse" and have been under a great deal of stress.**

**This half of the arc is coming to a close, with the next half starting right after!**

**However, I promise to try and get my head together to move forward!**

**Big thanks to Xenowishes for his help, he's supported me a lot, and I can't help but feel unworthy of his generous support.**

**I'll do my best to get back to form, thank you for all your support.**

**Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!**

**Next time: Deal with the Devil**


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